Hunger Games, featuring YOU!
by Stepping on Leprechauns
Summary: The polls are in and we have an amazing group of tributes. Get ready for a story of love, loss and excitement. Well, you know, the Hunger Games! *Rated T for occasional language, slightly more than innuendoes and violence*
1. District One Reapings

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games. **

**A/N: So I figured, since I had the District One tributes, might as well write their reapings. **

**District One Reaping**

Saffron Toltzein's POV

I woke up in an excited mood. It was the day. The reaping day. I've always loved this day. I loved to watch the tribute's scared and pained faces. Of course, I couldn't wait until the _real_ hunger games started, but this marked the beginning. I dressed in a beautiful outfit. I was beautiful. I was tall, blond and slender, and my blue eyes were cold as they looked down at you. Human scum.

I was standing with the other seventeen year olds, waiting in anticipation to see who was chosen. I hoped it was a twelve year old. Unfortunately, the District One tribute is almost always a volunteer, and wins a lot. The poofy haired escort reached in and called a name. One, I realized with a _zing_ that I recognized. Kitty Holt. My cousin.

I heard her brother, Spike, cried out in fear. Although his parents had trained him, they hadn't trained his weak twelve year old sister. In a flash I had made my decision. I would save her. I would volunteer. I had trained my life for it, anyway, and this was the last year I would be able to.

I lunged forward. "I volunteer!" I called in a bloodcurdling voice. Past years I'd been ignored, but not this year. They called me up, and when they asked me my name, I looked straight into the cameras and gave a blood-thirsty grin. "Saffron Toltzein."

Spike Holt's POV

I held Kitty's hand as we walked towards the reaping. She was scared, but I told her it was silly. Although, I should have realized that she was small and weak. Our parents had concentrated their lives to training me for these games, even though I had no love for them. So, when Kitty came around, they pretty much ignored her. Anyway, I pretty much figured she was safe.

When we got to the stage area, the unordered-ness bothered my OCD. When we got into the straight, organized lines it was a tiny bit better. But then the escort called Kitty's name. I cried out involuntarily in fear for my little sister. She walked to the stage, in a daze of fear. Suddenly, I saw my cousin, Saffron lunge forward with a scary "I volunteer!" The escort asked her if she knew Kitty and Saffron muttered that she was her cousin. Then the escort pulled the second name, the boys name.

"Ooh! What a lucky family!" she chirped in her silly accent. "Spike Holt!" I smiled. I had planned on going next year, but what was the difference. I was already sixteen years old. I was built like a monster, totally muscular. Saffron passed me a creepy smile. I assumed that we would form an alliance.

I stood on the stage glaring at any boy who might volunteer. Fortunately, they seemed to get the message and no one did. The escort smiled at me. "Oh! You can't be related to Kitty, can you?" she asked.

"My sister," I said with a glare, trying to scare the other tributes through the cameras.

"Wow! Two cousins going against each other, and what a formidable couple you make!" She gasped. "And here are your 42nd District One tributes!" Saffron and I exchanged a quick glance, then stared out into the audience, and the rest of Panem beyond.

**A/N: Here is the updated list of which tributes are taken:**

**District One Girl: **Saffron Toltzein

**District One Boy: **Spike Holt

**District Two Girl: **Andromeda Dayton

**District Two Boy: **Jack Tonto

**District Three Girl: **Annie Cathe

**District Three Boy: **Wylie Freeman

**District Four Girl: **Ariel Sallion

**District Four Boy: **Marcus Fitzpatrick

**District Five Girl: **

**District Five Boy:**

**District Six Girl: **Harper Haven Alby

**District Six Boy:**

**District Seven Girl:**

**District Seven Boy: **Jason Matthews

**District Eight Girl: **Marielle Bernstein (I just stuck you here-review or pm me if you want a different place, district three was taken. Sorry)

**District Eight Boy:**

**District Nine Girl: **Violet Summers

**District Nine Boy:**

**District Ten Girl:**

**District Ten Boy: **Blaise Calder

**District Eleven Girl: **Henna Venn

**District Eleven Boy:**

**District Twelve Girl: **Nadia Rote (Someone already took District Eleven-review if you want a different district.)

**District Twelve Boy: **


	2. District Three Reapings

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. Big surprise.**

**District Thee Reaping**

Annie's POV

I woke up, startled from my Rachel's screaming. "Come on, sis! We're going to be late, and I for one, don't want to be shot by the peacekeepers!"

A rage flashed through me, "Shut up! I'm going! I'm already half-way dressed!" The door to my room swung open and Rachel pulled me out of bed.

"_Or_ you fell back asleep for just 'half a second,' the way you do everyday. Now here, get dressed," she said, shoving a dress in to my hands. I grinned mischievously at her and flopped on my bed with my hand to my forehead.

"I'm afraid I'm deathly ill. I won't be able to make it today! It seems I'm terribly allergic to dresses!' Rachel smiled, but threw the dress on my stomach.

"Hurry up. You can't always wear pants and pretend you're a ninja. Git. _Now._" I rolled my eyes. Rachel was always so serious.

A little later, I was standing, squashed in with the other 17 year old girls. My sandy brown hair was neatly up in a bun, painfully contrasting its normal loose ponytail. I was wearing a pretty little dress, but I had no taste for that kind of thing. My best friend, Julia, stood next to me, vaguely holding my hand. Next to me was an obnoxious prim faced girl who I recognized from school. She was watching the mayor with avid interest. Of course, she heard this spiel about the "glorious" history of Panem a million times before. _Suck up,_ I thought of this girl. I reached into her pocket and deftly grabbed her wallet. I was just showing it off to Julia, who rolled her eyes, when the purple haired escort called my name, Annie Cathe.

The rest was a daze. I vaguely remembered stumbling up to the platform, after trying to meet Julia's worried gaze with a confident smile (but ultimately failing.) When they asked for volunteers, I could see Rachel dying to go, but she was nineteen, and unable to volunteer. Other than that, there was dead silence.

Wylie Freeman's POV

I stood with a group of seventeen year olds, many nervous, many not. I laughed to myself. No boy had need to be nervous. Some one would volunteer.

I watched the stunned girl stumble up to the stage. I watched her look upset when nobody volunteered. _Big surprise _I thought. This was District Three after all.

I was a rarity. I had almost nothing to lose. Only days training and being holed up in a little warehouse creating robots and other technical things. Now, however, I was going to put my knowledge and all those days to good use.

When the bored tribute called a boy's name, the one standing next to me started and walked to the platform with a look of dread dawning on his face. He looked like someone approaching their execution. I grabbed his arm though, before he could get very far, and stopped him.

"I volunteer!" I called. It wasn't the way it was supposed to go, but in District Three, that didn't matter. Hunger Games was synonymous to death sentence here. The sandy haired girl looked at me shocked from the platform. As did everybody else there. I'm sure I was quite a strange sight. A seventeen year-old boy, with short brown hair and hazel eyes, tall and strong, but not as strong as most career tributes, volunteering for the Hunger Games. I walked up to the platform and stared straight out at the audience.

When the escort asked my name, I told her, "Wylie Freeman. We can talk more when I'm in Victors Village." And the crowd when crazy with applause.

**A/N: Thanks all for reading! I did District three on request. Next, I'll do district two. Still four more places left in the games! **

**District One Girl: **Saffron Toltzein

**District One Boy:** Spike Holt

**District Two Girl: **Andromeda Dayton

**District Two Boy: **Jack Tonto

**District Three Girl: **Annie Cathe

**District Three Boy: **Wylie Freeman

**District Four Girl: **Ariel Sallion

**District Four Boy: **Marcus Fitzpatrick

**District Five Girl: **Alex Bones

**District Five Boy:** Nayeli Zabran

**District Six Girl: **Harper Haven Alby

**District Six Boy: **Vesper Harbane

**District Seven Girl: **Hush Owens

**District Seven Boy: **Jason Matthews

**District Eight Girl: **Marielle Bernstein

**District Eight Boy:**

**District Nine Girl: **Violet Summers

**District Nine Boy:**

**District Ten Girl: **Kyle Kors

**District Ten Boy: **Blaise Calder

**District Eleven Girl: **Henna Venn

**District Eleven Boy:**

**District Twelve Girl: **Nadia Rote

**District Twelve Boy:**

**I love you all!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	3. District Two Reapings

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.**

**District Two Reaping**

Andromeda Dayton's POV

When I woke up I knew it was _the day. _The day when I would finally achieve glory. When I would become the next victor for District Two. (Yes, I realized I knew it was only the day when I could become the tribute, but let a girl exaggerate.) I looked in the mirror and tried to look my best. I was so beautiful. Everyone thought so, especially the boys. I had long, gorgeous black hair, with huge violet eyes and a full, curvy body. In short, I was sexy. I was the most popular girl in the school, and I was willing to do anything to remain that status. I also had the status as best fighter. I did everything to remain that status-humiliate, backstab, fight. Many girls in my school and town have been destroyed, emotionally, physically, socially, and completely, because of me. And I liked it.

I stood with the other seventeen year olds, waiting for it to start. I was anxious, excited for it the time. I needed to do this. I was the child of a financially unstable single mother, and I would bring her riches and happiness. I had two sisters, but one, Storm, was too old by a year (she was drowned out by some b**** last year-and the girl hadn't even won!) and my other would never be able to do the Hunger Games. She was so sweet and innocent, I couldn't let her go. She trembled at the thought of the Hunger Games.

The escort announced the tribute, a sixteen year old who I recognized-she insulted Storm when I was nine and I nearly beat her half to death. There was still an ugly scar on her face from that encounter. In a way I would owe my soon-to-be glory to her. The teachers came running, saw my fighting ability and sent me off to train.

When the escort asked for volunteers, I didn't waste a second. I screamed "Me!" at the same time as about ten others. Suddenly, it was a race. I flew up to microphone and tore some succeeding red-head away from it, then announced myself as the next District Two Tribute. There was applause for my dramatic entrance, and I glowed in the limelight.

Jack Tonto's POV

I rolled my eyes at the girl's pathetic entrance. The rest of the seventeen year old boys gasped and whooped, thinking she was hot.

"Idiots," I muttered. I was wearing a black suit with silver threads woven to look like knives. It was my preferred weapon, along with a sword. I woke myself up that morning. My mom essentially shunned me. Part of my doing this was to prove my worth to her. Oh, and to revenge my brother's death by district one. I would destroy the tributes from that district. I swore it to my brother, Robbie, when he died two years ago. He was in the last two, but the bastard from District One used unfair methods in their fight and killed him. I felt the rage burn through my veins.

Then I heard the escort ask for volunteers. Before she even finished the question, I thrust up my hand and shouted aggressively, "Me! I volunteer!"

As I mounted the stage and said my name, I looked at my mother, asking silently for her approval. Alas, I saw a harsh coldness in her eyes. I thought, _I will prove myself to you, mother. I will avenge you, Robbie Tonto. _

Thanks for reading! Only four tributes left! Here's the current tribute list:

**District One Girl: **Saffron Toltzein

**District One Boy:** Spike Holt

**District Two Girl: **Andromeda Dayton

**District Two Boy: **Jack Tonto

**District Three Girl: **Annie Cathe

**District Three Boy: **Wylie Freeman

**District Four Girl: **Ariel Sallion

**District Four Boy: **Marcus Fitzpatrick

**District Five Girl: **Nayeli

**District Five Boy: **Alex Bones

**District Six Girl: **Harper Haven Alby

**District Six Boy: **Vesper Harbane

**District Seven Girl: **Hush Owens

**District Seven Boy: **Jason Matthews

**District Eight Girl:** Marielle Bernstein

**District Eight Boy:**

**District Nine Girl: **Violet Summers

**District Nine Boy:**

**District Ten Girl: **Kyle Kors

**District Ten Boy: **Blaise Calder

**District Eleven Girl: **Henna Venn

**District Eleven Boy:**

**District Twelve Girl: **Nadia Rote

**District Twelve Boy:**

Thanks!

-Stepping on Leprechauns


	4. District Four Reapings

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Hunger Games.**

**District Four Reaping**

Ariel Sallion's POV

I woke up with a scowl. Today was the reaping. The day we would start to play the Capitol's pets for the next few weeks. I hated the Games, and the way they took our young without a second thought. Enjoyed watching us die as though we were animals. The Capitol just loved to kill the district people, loved to weaken us and enforce their strength. I squeezed my eyes shut as I relived my parent's death in fury, as I did every morning.

They were sitting on the boat in the distance, fishing. I could just barely see them. I was young, playing with sand and some shells on the beach with a few other children. James, my brother, was nearby, learning how to fish from his mentor, while checking up on me every so often. It was just the start of when he was learning, and I would join him soon. It was a cold and windy day, and the waves were pretty high. It wasn't the best fishing day. Suddenly, we heard shouts and screams. One scream was one I distinctly recognized as my mother's. We all looked up and saw that their tiny boat had crashed into a rock, jutting out of the sea. Now, a good boat, no matter what the size, would have held up against the collision. However, this boat smashed into many pieces on impact. James gave a shout of fear for our parents, but I just sat and watched in fear. My parents fell out of the boat, my mother whacking her head on the rock and getting knocked out. My father got her and tried to swim to shore, but the waves were incredibly high and the riptide strong, and with the added weight of my mother, they sank and drowned before anyone could reach them. As I sat on the beach, sobbing, some pieces of the boat washed up on shore. One came right up to my feet. I picked it up and stared at it. Right there on that little piece of wood was the cause of my parent's death. Right there on that little piece of wood was the Capitol's seal.

My brother, James, also died at the Capitol's hands. In the Hunger Games two years ago. The next year, my only friend, Trinity Wilmington, was killed in the Games. I always thought that I was an unlucky person.

The Capitol caused the death of everyone I've ever loved. And here I was today, playing dress up for the Capitol's death sentence.

I walked up to the Reaping place, a little late. Most of the children were already in their lines. I glanced longingly at the eighteen-year-olds, wishing it to be my last year, but I pushed my way towards the thirteen-year-olds instead.

"Hey you!" said some snarky guy. "You sure you're in the right line? Shouldn't you be with the twelve-year-olds? Are you even old enough to be Reaped?" he made fun of me, laughing with his buddy.

"Oh shut up. I may be short but if you don't stop laughing I'll rip your face off with my teeth!" I growled. He shut up immediately. In District Four, you never really knew who was capable of actually ripping your face off with their teeth. I stalked to my place in line. When the people went on about Panem's history, it was all I could do not to leap up to that stage and slice the mayor and escort's throats. There was nothing special about Panem, except the cruelty of our leaders.

When they called my name, I was shocked. I now _knew_ that I was an _incredibly_ unlucky person. I stormed up the steps. But, as the escort asked me whether I was related to "that James Sallion, who died horrifically a couple years ago" and I, though upset with the way she asked, told her he was my brother, a plan formed in my mind. A glorious plan. I realized if I remained in the Games, I could find a way to take down the entire institution, to take down the Capitol itself!

So, when the escort asked for volunteers, I cried, "No! I mean, I want to volunteer!" She gave me an odd look, as did the entire community of District Four.

"Well," the escort fluttered, "I don't know if we can do it that way…but you seem like a determined little pipsqueak! I mean, girl!" she changed the word when I glared fiercely at her. "I'm sure you'll bring District Four victory, unlike that girl last year and the boy two years ago!" She was talking about Trinity and James! I almost wrung her neck.

Marcus Fitzpatrick's POV

I knew what my parents wanted of me this year. They decided that it was time for me to volunteer for the games.

"You're sixteen!" they said. "You're old enough. You've spent sixteen years training! Younger tributes have won. Volunteer this year honey. You'll do well." I wouldn't though. I didn't really believe in this whole thing. They had forced me to train, but they would not force me to volunteer. I really didn't believe in rules.

I watched the proceedings of the Reaping with uninterested eyes. I was impressed by the little girl's anger. She reminded me of a small dog. Little, adorable and angry. If I was part of the Games, I speculated, I would try to help her out. The escort called the District Four tribute. My heart softened when I saw him-a seventeen year old in a wheelchair with no legs, lost inn a fishing accident. There was a stunned silence and no one volunteered. So, I did exactly what I had sworn not to do.

I volunteered.

**A/N: Here's the lovely little District Four Tributes! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been busy. Still one more boy left! **

**District One Girl: **Saffron Toltzein-17 years

**District One Boy: **Spike Holt-16 years

**District Two Girl: **Andromeda Dayton-17 years

**District Two Boy: **Jack Tonto-17 years

**District Three Girl: **Annie Cathe-17 years

**District Three Boy: **Wylie Freeman-17 years

**District Four Girl: **Ariel Sallion-13 years

**District Four Boy**: Marcus Fitzpatrick-16 years

**District Five Girl: **Nayeli Zabran-17 years

**District Five Boy: **Alex Bones-16 years

**District Six Girl: **Harper Haven Alby-17 years

**District Six Boy: **Vesper Harbane-16 years

**District Seven Girl: **Hush Owens-14 years

**District Seven Boy: **Jason Matthews-12 years

**District Eight Girl: **Marielle Bernstein-15 years

**District Eight Boy:**

**District Nine Girl: **Violet Summers-14 years

**District Nine Boy: **Torrent Montague-18 years

**District Ten Girl: **Kyle Kors-17 years

**District Ten Boy: **Blaise Calder-15 years

**District Eleven Girl: **Henna Venn-18 years

**District Eleven Boy: **Noah Marx-16 years

**District Twelve Girl: **Nadia Rote-15 years

**District Twelve Boy: **Barley Franklin-14 years


	5. Final Tribute list

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the Hunger Games.**

**District One Girl: **Saffron Toltzein-17 years

**District One Boy: **Spike Holt-16 years

**District Two Girl: **Andromeda Dayton-17 years

**District Two Boy: **Jack Tonto-17 years

**District Three Girl: **Annie Cathe-17 years

**District Three Boy: **Wylie Freeman-17 years

**District Four Girl: **Ariel Sallion-13 years

**District Four Boy**: Marcus Fitzpatrick-16 years

**District Five Girl: **Nayeli Zabran-17 years

**District Five Boy: **Alex Bones-16 years

**District Six Girl: **Harper Haven Alby-17 years

**District Six Boy: **Vesper Harbane-16 years

**District Seven Girl: **Hush Owens-14 years

**District Seven Boy: **Jason Matthews-12 years

**District Eight Girl: **Marielle Bernstein-15 years

**District Eight Boy: **Cane Mouldon-15 years

**District Nine Girl: **Violet Summers-14 years

**District Nine Boy: **Torrent Montague-18 years

**District Ten Girl: **Kyle Kors-17 years

**District Ten Boy: **Blaise Calder-15 years

**District Eleven Girl: **Henna Venn-18 years

**District Eleven Boy: **Noah Marx-16 years

**District Twelve Girl: **Nadia Rote-15 years

**District Twelve Boy: **Barley Franklin-14 years

**A/N: Hey! The polls are in and these are the results! Here are your forty-second Hunger Games tributes! **** Thank you all for reviewing and submitting tributes! I love you all!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	6. District Five Reapings

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own the Hunger Games. **

**District Five Reapings**

Nayeli Zabran's POV

I was completely average. When I woke up in the morning, I looked into the mirror. I saw plain brown. Plain brown eyes, skin, and hair. I was totally average. The only unaverage thing about me was my love of plants. I lived for plants. It was probably more of an unhealthy obsession, now that I think about it. See, I was planning on making natural medicines when I grew up and had been training for that, but I really just enjoyed spending time with them. I watered the tulips on my windowsill and got dressed. It wasn't a very outstanding dress but it suited me.

As I was walking with my eight siblings and parents, I stopped to grab a wild violet. I plucked it up and weaved it in my hair. When I looked up, my family was gone. _Oh well,_ I thought, _we are all going to the same place. _

I meandered into the audience and stood with my line. Seventeen year olds milled around me. A few of my friends called their hellos to me and I responded vaguely.

I was going over some strange plants in my head when they called the tribute up. I was surprised. _What an unlucky family!_ I thought in despair. The little girl who had stumbled up had lost her older in the Games a few years ago. I couldn't let such despair come to a person!

"I volunteer!" I cried when our escort asked for them. She looked at me surprised, but I walked up, then was struck with a paralyzing fear. However, my ability to stay calm all the time is my greatest strength, and the fear didn't show on my face.

Alex Bones's POV

I practiced my smile when I woke up. I always smiled-all the time. I really didn't like to smile, but I couldn't let other people think I was sad as I actually was. So I smiled, laughed and joked. But I bet if someone had looked into my bright green eyes, they would have been able to tell that I wasn't so happy.

I walked up to Kay and immediately felt at ease. She was my love. She threw her arms around me as soon as we saw each other.

"Oh Alex!" she moaned. "I hate reaping day! If one of us is picked, I think I'll die! It happens every year! When will it end?" I hugged her slim body and gave her a little kiss.

"Only two years more. We're sixteen you know! It's okay. The chances we'll be Reaped is two out of five hundred. Or one out of two hundred fifty. Very small-we'll be okay."

So when they called my name, Kay's shocked and tear streaked face was all I could see.

**A/N: Hey! Thanks so much for reading! You've all been great. You should go to Enigmaticrose4's SYOT story. It's great! A lot of thanks to Enigmaticrose4, actually. She's been great to me since before I started this story. So helpful.**

**Still, I love you all! Annie the Hedge Cat also. ;) And Little Miss Dancerina has been awesome recently too!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	7. District Six Reapings

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Hunger Games. Really bites, right. **

**District Six Reapings**

Harper Haven Alby's POV

I was not a fan of the Games. I don't really live by anyone's rules, so the main reason I didn't like the Games was that it was the Capitol's way of enforcing their rules. I was especially averse to them when my twelve year old cousin died in them three years ago. That said, I didn't really ever do anything to change the Games. If I had truly cared, I probably would have done something to change it.

I was a prettier girl, by modern standards. I had big brown curls, sweeping down my shoulders, side-swept bangs that fell in my eyes, round deep green eyes with hazel flecks and a dazzling smile. I was only five foot three inches, but I worked that. In my view, way too many boys professed their love to me and asked me out.

I pinned back my curls that day, and wore a beautiful dress. I had got it in District Eight, by a great designer. I traveled a lot. Selkirk, my older brother, had a job transporting chemicals to the Capitol and other districts, and I often went with him.

My father called me to go, and I followed. My father, I always obeyed.

I vegged out during the speech about the Districts and all. I recalled previous Reaping Days. I remembered the one where Selkirk was Reaped, but was saved by a boy whose girlfriend had been Reaped. There was the one when my twelve year old cousin was Reaped, and my family was in tears as we watched them lead her to her death. Then the escort called the victim for the Games. It was a tiny girl. I winced when I saw her face, deformed and the ugly, recent wounds going up her leg. She limped as she came to the platform. She had recently been injured in a chemical spill. When the escort asked for volunteers, it was silent, except for one sobbing mother and the choked back sobs of the girl.

My entire district was ready to send this little, injured girl to her death.

So, in my usual fashion, I broke the unspoken rule-never volunteer.

Vesper Harbane's POV

Aisla woke me up first. Although she was three years younger than me, only thirteen years old, she was the most responsible out of us. I felt the guilt of making her wake me up slice through me, accompanied with my ever-present, biting, guilt that she had to drop out of school at age twelve to work and support the family.

"I'll wake the parents," I told her. "You wake Ytalia." Ytalia was our sweet nine year old sister. Waking the parents was the harder job. My dad was a freaking depressed alcoholic. My mother, a "reformed alcoholic" though she does drugs, and is impatient and cranky. They often forgot to pick me up from school, leaving me to walk the sixteen miles to my home on a copse in the outskirts of District Eight. I knew that both of them meant well, but I still felt bad things about them.

I watched the girl-Harper?- volunteer and run up to the platform. I saw fire in her eyes, but I also saw the fear and sadness. She was a year older than me in school, seventeen, but I knew her vaguely. I always saw her with Ainsley and Logan, two kids who I knew. They both looked devastated as Harper volunteered.

Then the escort called me up. I was surprised, and upset. The first thought in my mind was about my sisters. They would be left to fend for themselves. Our parents would be no help-I hoped Mom didn't fall back to drinking when I died. Aisla could take care of herself, but Ytalia could not. Aisla might take care of her, but she'd be torn apart, and so so sad. I knew I was supposed to take care of them, protect them, but how could I dead?

Then I decided I wouldn't die, for them. I looked good enough, fair skin, bright blue eyes, slender and broad-shoulders. I was good with hand-to-hand combat. But the Games were strategy games and I was good with strategy.

Harper turned and looked at me, fear glistening in her eyes-her decision had been rash, and made because of the emotion in a moment. Now she was scared. All I could do was smile sadly at her, then turned to the audience. As the escort presented us, there was one emotion that squished all the pity I felt for Harper. Contempt. She had a choice to go into the games-I didn't. Now, she would deal with the consequences of her decision.

**A/N: Hey hey hey! Halfway done with the Reapings-six out of twelve! Whoop whoop! Wow. Okay, well, I love you all and please review! You people are awesome! Remember-if you like this, you'll like Engimaticrose4's Interactive Hunger Games!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	8. District Seven Reapings

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the Hunger Games. **

**District Seven Reaping**

Jason Matthew's POV

When I woke up, I felt the normal rage rush through my veins, as it always did on Reaping Day. I always remember this day four years ago. The beginning of my sister, Alicia's, death. She was, in the end, tortured to death by a bloodthirsty Career. As an eight year old, it was devastating.

Now, it was my year to be submitted to the Games. I was twelve. My mother was very worried. While I kept assuring her that it would be okay, she kept muttering that it would be like Alicia all over again. She constantly grabbed me and held me to her chest, telling me that she would not let the Capitol take me, not like they took Alicia.

Though I had assured my mother that I would be safe from the drawing, I was still nervous. Alicia's torturous death still haunted me. It was very graphic and I saw it in my dreams every night. I still trembled when I thought of it, and when I thought of the Games.

Pedro, my best friend, knew that, and hugged me when I saw him.

"Hey, let's stand together. It'll be okay man," he reassured me. My mother gave me one last hug and my father had to drag her away from me.

The escort was new. She was dyed hot pink all over-including her skin, hair, eyes and clothes. She was a bumbling idiot. She plunged her hand into the boys circle first, although most escorts go girls first.

That's what I was thinking about when they called my name. I heard a tear-clogged screech. As I walked numbly up to the stage, I was aware of my mothers hysterical screaming. I wondered why she hadn't reached me by now. It sounded as if she was struggling and trying to run. When I got on the stage I saw why she hadn't reached me. My father was holding her back, struggling not to let her run through and get to me, and probably get shot by Peacekeepers.

Oh, how I hoped she would survive my death.

Hush Owen's POV

Every Reaping Day when I woke up, I prayed for the safety of my family. That's not who I should have prayed for. I should have prayed for everybody.

Ajax woke me up.

"Hush?" he asked. "Play time?" I smiled at him, but shook my head. I had previously suspected that it would set him off, so I immediately grabbed the calendar I had placed next to my day. I pointed to the date, where it was written, REAPING DAY in big letters. I saw his chin tremble, and his body shake a little. He gave a little moan, then calmed down.

"Oh. Oh, should I go get Mommy and Daddy?" he asked. I nodded and kissed the top of his head. I was proud at his control. As he walked off, I gave a little prayer for him and all my friends and family, especially Kase. However, Ajax was safe for a few years. He was only ten. I was a little worried about his first Reaping. Suddenly, the wailing started. Ajax was severely Autistic and the slightest change to anything could set him off.

I walked to the kitchen. Ajax was sounding like an alarm, and my mother was spluttering, trying to calm him down.

"What did I do?" Mom screamed at me, over Ajax, which made him go louder. I scanned the kitchen, then lighted on what set him off. I pointed to the table.

"Huh? Oh, brown food. Today's white day, right?" she asked. I nodded 'yes'. She quickly dumped the food and set off making a new breakfast. I calmed Ajax down. He clung to me, and I clung back.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay," he murmured, "as long as we have each other."

I met Kase at the Reaping place. He was tall and slender, with dark eyes, dark hair and beautiful olive skin. He was tall and strong and slender. I was nothing like him, with chocolate skin, dark hair in two frizzy braids, and a tiny, willowy build. However, we understood each other perfectly-we didn't even have to use words for our relationship. He pulled me into a hug, wished me luck and went off to join the fifteen year old boys. I walked off to the fourteen year old girls.

The escort started with the boys. I felt fear rush through my veins. _Not Kase, not Kase,_ I prayed internally. Then, another twelve year old-a stunned looking boy with dirty blond hair and green eyes-was chosen, and I felt a slight guilt. Was it my praying that had gotten him chosen? His mother was screaming hysterically and trying to get to him, and I hoped it wasn't my fault. Partially because I didn't want to inflict the kind of torture that would make someone scream like that, partially because I believed in Karma.

I think it was my praying that got Jason chosen. That's why I think it was Karma that got me chosen.

And I did not think it was good to be a Mute in the Hunger Games.

**A/N: And there's the District Seven Reaping! I hope you like it! If you were wondering, I made a mistake and put the wrong person in District Seven. It's really Hush Owens, not Marielle Bernstein. **

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	9. District Eight Reapings

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the Hunger Games.**

**A/N: I apologize to all of you who are reading Marielle for the second time. I'm a tad of an idiot, and ended up doing the wrong District Seven Girl. If you want to read Hush Owens, District 7's girl, go back to that chapter. I apologize.**

**District Eight Reaping**

Marielle Bernstein's POV

I started out this morning by meeting Kirsten, my mother at my door. She was with Vector, my sister and Matkovich, my brother. It would be his first eligible Reaping. I was so worried for him. My greatest regret was that Kirsten took him away when she divorced my dad and moved away. I also wished I saw her more. I hugged Matty hello, and started fretting about him, in a motherly tone.

"Oh, yes! I'm so worried about you Matty! You might get Reaped!" Vector cried. I grit my teeth. She didn't really care, she was just trying to steal my thunder.

"Come on let's go," I said, grabbing Matty's hand and walking off.

I walked to the Reapings, fear pushing through my veins. I could not let Matty get Reaped-although I wouldn't be able to do anything if he was Reaped.

I stood with the other fifteen year olds, waiting for the girls tribute to be announced. My mind was preoccupied with worries about Matty. Suddenly, the girl next to me hit me. I leaned into her.

"What?" I whispered. She glared at me and I heard the escort call my name. I glanced up at her, then leaned into the girl again.

"What are they talking about? Why are they calling my name?" I whispered.

"God!" she screamed. "You dumbass! Stop bothering me! You're the freaking tribute already! Now get away from me!" The words sank in. Tribute. I was going to die. Now, all I could do was worry about how Matty was going to survive this. I could hear his wailing as I floated up to the platform. He was in pain, and it was all my fault.

Cane Mouldon's POV

I got up that morning and treated it like any other morning. That's how I treated life. It's all one long, stupid blob. Mary Ann ran into my room. That's when I realized it wasn't any other day. It was a reaping-and Mary Ann's first.

"Mary Ann!" I said in a taunting voice. "You're gonna get Reaped! You're gonna be sent to the Hunger Games!" She burst into tears and ran out my room. I grabbed her by the collar.

"Where are you going?" I asked. "Don't you dare tell the parents! I was only teasing-don't be so upset. I'm sure you'll be fine!" She stuck her tongue out at me, but I could tell she was still scared. She had always lived in fear of the Hunger Games.

When we got to the stage area, I met up with 'my boys.' They were a group of brawny idiots who I hung out with and picked on kids at school with. I hated them, but they were useful. We did that weird grab hands and bump chest thing.

"He-ey! Wattup?" they asked.

"Nuttin'" I responded. "Good luck dudes." I stalked off. They were all sixteen, a year older than me, but they let me hang out with them (really lead them) cause I was 'cool.'

The girl who walked up was pretty, but obviously a bit stupid. She was very petite, with soft blue eyes hiding behind glasses and frizzy amber hair. She didn't realize she was being called though, for like fifty years.

I was still guffawing when they called my name. I was cool with it though. I was strong, intimidating, handsome with buzzed blond hair and dark eyes, and a very toned body. I stood on the platform and smiled, then shot a glare at the Marielle girl. I could definitely kill her, and everyone. I could win.

**A/N: Insert dramatic music here. So, I hope you liked it! Sorry once again about the mix-up! **

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	10. District Nine Reapings

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games**

**District Nine Reaping**

Violet's POV

I woke up fifteen minutes before we left for the reaping. I had a very effective way of getting up and dressed in the mornings. I pulled on her shirt and skirt quickly and brushed my long black hair, leaving it down. I wish I had taken the time to glance in the mirror one last time, my last time to look at myself as a normal girl. I know what I would have seen, but it would have been nice to be reminded. Tiny figure, tiny everything, except for my giant feet and the length of my hair. My long hair was deep black, with an ever changing streak in it. This time it was deep red, giving me a slightly scary look. Large purply-blue eyes and a sprinkling of freckles. Cute, but that doesn't matter, does it? Not in these games.

A little later and I was standing with the other fourteen year old girls, not particularly worried. I was smart enough to know the odds of my getting chosen. They were slim. However, people with very slim chances have won before.

Next thing I knew, they were calling my name. _Slim chances, eh?_ That little sarcastic voice inside me said, as I watched my world spiral away from me.

I was numb as I marched to the stage, unfeeling and uncomprehending. Then I looked into the audience, and saw my mother crying silently into my father's shirt, who was stunned and upset. Kewlani, my brother stared at me in despair and I could see a few tears rolling down his cheeks, which screwed me over. When your older brother looks at you with death written in his face, you know that you will be destroyed. A jolt ran through me, and I started to march back down.

"Hey-" the escort started, but I cut her off.

"Look, I'm not supposed to be up here. I refuse to be the tribute. I'm getting off of this slaughterhouse!" I cried, then froze when I heard the unmistakable click of a gun being cocked. The Peacekeepers held their guns pointed at me, six of them at least. The Head Peacekeeper, Entomophag, paced leisurely up to me.

"I'm afraid that's not the way it works. Unless someone volunteers, you're stuck up on this…slaughterhouse, as you so eloquently put it." I froze-I had realized that it was a streak of insanity to walk off that stage, but I didn't realize it was a suicide mission. I trembled and stumbled back up to the platform. I soon realized there was no way to get out of this, and I knew my murder was inevitable.

Torrent Montague's POV

My last year for a chance in Hell. That was my first thought when I woke up. Eighteen years old, I was already pretty accomplished. I was pretty good hunter, which is really all you need if you want to do well in District Nine. My mother dead and my father a drunk, I had been taking care of myself for quite some time.

When I watched the girl's Reaping, I felt bad for the girl, but she kind of had it coming. Yes, it sucks to be a tribute. Yes, she'll die in a few weeks. Yes, her family's life will be destroyed. Yes, she was very young. I could go on and on with my list. But, that happens to about eighteen other tributes every year. You just can't walk off that stage. If you could, the Games wouldn't exist. I was mulling this over as the escort plunged her hand into the boy's names. _Just one last chance to be Reaped,_ I thought with a chuckle.

"Torrent Montague." Oh, irony. What a cruel master you are. I saw heads turn in confusion. Only a few knew me, my hunting buddies. And even they barely knew me. We were more of, say, acquaintances. But, I preferred to fade in the background and did so quite well.

My head reeled with fear and anger and sadness as I stepped up to the platform. I could now understand exactly why that girl had walked off the stage, and almost did so myself. But the Peacekeepers now had their guns trained on me, and I knew that the only way to survive would be to go to the Games.

Ha! Never thought you'd hear a tribute say that, did you?

Meanwhile, the escort was squealing about me being…handsome? I mean I guess I look okay, leaned, tanned and muscular from all my hunting, and shaggy dark hair and eyes, but I had never thought I was that special.

But I didn't worry. The Games would make me special.

**A/N: District Niners! What? I have no idea. So, bye for now. I loooooove you all!**

**Right, a lot of exclamation points, real professional…**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	11. District Ten Reapings

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the Hunger Games. **

**District Ten Reapings**

Kyle Kors POV

You don't realize your death is coming until it is upon you. And so it is with the Hunger Games.

Xx

I was surprised and a little bit afraid when I woke up that morning, and realized that I was in my own house. Yes, I realize that makes no sense to you. I'm working on that bit.

You see, my parents are incredibly rich, and they are often not home. They are mostly traveling, or at giant, beautiful galas to which I am never invited. So, I stay at my friend, Nate's house. His situation is pretty much the same as mine, and we've pretty much learned to depend on each other.

My heart sped up when I thought of Nate. With his shaggy red hair, that tousled and fell into his bright, intelligent green eyes, he was one of the most sought after boys in District Ten. But I wasn't only physically attracted to Nate. He had always been kind to me, helped me, and we leaned on each other. He had big soft hands, and an even bigger, softer heart. But I wasn't going to catch him. Not with every other girl trying to date him.

As I coiffed my hair, I admired myself in the mirror. I was pretty, no way getting around the fact. I had sleek brown hair, stunning green eyes, fair skin and freckles dotting my nose. My figure was leaned and toned, with subtle curves.

Can you believe the thoughts running through my head, on the day of my death sentence?

As I walked to the stage, I stopped by at Nate's house.

"Hey Kyle!" he said with a huge smile, embracing me like an old friend. Which he was. Nothing more.

"Hey Natie!" I laughed, reaching up to play with his hair.

"Good luck today!"

"Oh Natie-you and me, we have about zero chance of being Reaped. Don't worry!" I chastised him.

"But I do worry," he told me seriously, and looked down at me (he was ridiculously tall.) I looked up and stared into the deep green eyes that had guided me through every bad thing in my life, and felt my heart flutter.

"I have to go to my line," I muttered and stumbled off to find the other seventeen year olds.

I was mulling that over while we stood in the lines like livestock waiting for the slaughter house, when I heard the escort calling the female tribute's name. She was a little girl with cancer. I couldn't let her be sent to her death! So, in the heat of the moment, I volunteered. I called my name so they would know who I was.

"Kyle Kors!" The place went dead silent. Everybody knew my name, at least my surname. Everybody knew that the only daughter of the richest family in their district was going to die.

My knees locked, and I stared up at the woman, stunned. I knew I should be walking up to that platform, become the District Ten girl tribute, but I couldn't make myself move. Suddenly I was walking up, even though I could no longer feel my legs.

A hand shot out of the audience, and grabbed my arm. I must have jumped fifty feet in surprise. Suddenly Nate was holding me and crying. Without realizing it, I was crying too.

Blaise Calder's POV

While Reaping day is a day off for most, it sure wasn't for me, but I was okay with that. I quite enjoyed working on the farm. I woke up with the crack of dawn, then got Merrill and Delphine up to work with me.

"Hey girlies!" I told them. "Up and at 'em!"

"Aw, do we _have_ to work today!" Merrill moaned.

"Yeah, all my friends were happy for a day off! Where's our day off!" Delphine agreed.

"Cows don't have a day off!" I laughed and pulled them to the barnyard. I loved my sisters so much. Delphine, just six years old, already looked just like my mother, small with olive skin, ashen brown hair and brown eyes. Merrill, seven years old, favored my father, with very light brown hair, green eyes, and paler skin. I was pretty much a mix, big green and auburn eyes, ashen brown hair and olive skin. Oh, both my parents were dead, just so you know. Died in a tuberculosis outbreak five years ago, when I was ten. We lived on my grandparents farm, with my drunk uncle, and his kids, Paisley, Pavi, Parsnip, Peter, Palla, Pansy, Pepper, Piper and Palmer. He had a thing for P names.

Me and my sisters went out and fed and watered the cows, then progressed to milking them. It was a pleasant time, and we fooled around and had a lot of fun. Then we tended to the rest of the farm in a similar manor, and took a break for a few minutes, lying on the couch. Then I hopped up again.

"Okay, time to get ready and go! You know it's an hour commute from here to the center of the city!"

"Yeah, we'd know better than you!" Delphine reminded me. "We do it every day to get to school! You don't!" I had dropped out of school when I was thirteen, two years ago, to better take care of the farm.

_Jeez, talk about dramatics! _I thought when Kyle was Reaped, with that guy, Nate, hugging her, and crying and…well…ugh.

Then they called a horrible name! Not mine, but Piper's. Piper was only fourteen years old, and lame. Also, he was one of my cousins. I knew I had to save him.

"I volunteer!" I called.

**A/N: Ta da! That's the District Ten Reaping! **

**Thanks all for reading!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	12. District Eleven Reapings

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Hunger Games. **

**District Eleven Reapings**

Noah Marx's POV

I woke up like every other morning. I stole out and went hunting, ate, got dressed, then meandered down to the middle of town for the Reaping. I really had no emotion for the Hunger Games. Yeah, they were stupid, and cruel, but really, they were more like every other thing the Capitol did to us. Sure, this was less subtle than their trying to starve us and shooting all of us who gave a damn, but face it-it's exactly the same thing.

Yes, I'm sure you sensed the bitterness in my voice. Tone. Whatever. Point is, the Capitol, peacekeeper, call it what you want, killed my parents a few years ago when they were discovered to be part of some stupid "Resistance" thing. Thing is, they weren't. Sure, my father had been part of it, like a decade ago, but he quit when he found my mother and they had me. The Peacekeeper's intelligence was shoddy, it would seem. I pretty much gave up caring and interactions with people after that.

So, as I watched the Reaping, I could merely roll my eyes when the escort cried in an overly excited voice, "This year, I'm going to do the men first! I hope it will actually give our district a chance this year!" _Oh goody! _I thought sarcastically. No one from District Eleven actually ever had a chance.

Then she called my name. I glared at her and everybody else when they brought me to the stage.

"Fine," I said, in a quiet voice. "Kill me. Kill me like you killed my parents. I couldn't care less. But I will not be your tool. I will die as myself. Damn you, Capitol, Damn you."

Henna Venn's POV

Reaping Day was the most important day of the year for me. Every year, I woke up with anticipation, because I knew that one day, we would take down the Captiol on the Reaping Day. It sucked for me otherwise. Reaping Day was the anniversary of my last remaining relative.

Yes, I'm an orphan, poor me, la-di-da. Whatever. My father died for a great cause. He, and four other men were publicly executed for being the leaders of a secret anti-Capitol resistance force. That night, I found the Resistance and joined. My mother died for a less noble cause, love. After my father died, she wasted away, and died from alcohol poisoning. My sister, Felicity, died a few years ago as a tribute. I moved to a shack on the edge of town, worked in the orchards during the days, and passionately put my all into the Resistance in my nights. I had nothing left to lose, except Matthew Rip (Ripper), my best friend and my father's old apprentice, and he was a huge part of the Resistance. Ripper and I had decided that if one of us dies because of the Resistance, the other was gonna die trying to save the other.

So, with my grudges backing my anger, I took the very long walk to the stage, where the idiots would cart someone off to their death. I knew what would happen. Twenty-four tributes from all districts would be made to dress up and fight like animals, tributes from districts one, two and four would form an alliance, and they'd brutally kill everyone in sight, and one of them would win. Really, it was as cruel of a sport than dog fighting, a sport which some particularly malicious people in my district partook in. I've always hated it.

I stood with the rest of the eighteen year olds, looking like nothing special. I was taller, 5'7", with longer frizzy brown hair, green eyes and freckles. What made me stand out was my endurance, strength and brains.

"Henna Venn!" I had tuned out most of the Reaping, and I was surprised when they called my name. I stepped forth and took my place, next to the boy and stared out confidently while I was crumbling inside. Matthew looked devastated, and my few acquaintances looked vaguely upset, but the people in the Resistance, the ones who would have been more destroyed to see me gone were in another part of town, watching on a big screen.

When they asked for volunteers, no one responded.

Noah Marx's POV (again)

When they called up the girl I immediately recognized her. We had held hands once. Our parents were killed on the same day, and the Peacekeepers dragged us to the front to watch our parents' death, up close and personal. While I was shuddering with the effort to keep in my heart-wrenching agony, Henna stood proud and, in a slightly creepy way, almost like she was happy. Not happy her dad was dying, happy that she was his daughter. She looked at him like he was doing something great, not just destroying her, her mother's and her sister's lives. Like I said, she seemed almost proud.

In short, that bitch was crazy.

**A/N: Sorry for the bad language! That's just how Noah talks! But, only one more district to go! I'm so excited! **

**Thanks for reading, love you all!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	13. District Twelve Reapings

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Hunger Games. **

**District Twelve Reapings**

Nadia Rote's POV

I've always been really worried when the Reapings came 'round. My mother generally woke me up everyday, but I woke up all by myself that morning. Every Reaping morning I did that. I mean, what if I got Reaped, or Lance, or God forbid Mayala, once she got old enough. Well, I guess I don't have to worry about myself anymore.

Now, I always ran into this one issue on Reaping Day. You were supposed to look nice, which was virtually impossible for me. I had this huge forehead, oddly thin eyebrows, these stupid really dark freckles, nearly nonexistent lips, and an itty bitty nose. I had dull hazel eyes, regular olive skin, long bangs that fell into my plain eyes and a choppy dark bob that I swear was uneven. The left side was always longer than the right! So, I brushed that idiotically stupid haircut, tossed on a lumpy dress that looked like a garbage bag on me and left.

I was meeting up with Jorsh and Rien over at Jorsh's house. Jorsh and Rien were my best friends, both a year older than me, sixteen. They grinned mischievously at me when I met them. Jorsh immediately bent down and kissed my cheek.

"Ugh! Jorsh!" I protested, pulling away. They loved to do that kind of thing to me, because they knew it made me extremely uncomfortable.

"You're so cute!" they grinned, reaching and patting my head.

"Oh, shut up! I'm not cute at all! You have to reach _up_ to pat my head!" I chastised.

"Not me! That's the midget over there that has to reach up," Rien protested to me, pointing over at Jorsh, who was a bit shorter, but not that much.

"Not true! I may be shorter than you, _giant,_" he muttered to Rien, "but I only have to reach up 'cause you're freakishly tall for a fifteen year old girl!"

"That is correct. Let's us tall people go to the Reaping. Bye Jorsh!" Rien taunted, grabbing my arm and waltzing away with me, leaving Jorsh behind. They fooled around like that all the way to the stage.

"Well, see you!" they said, giving me a hug.

"Oh gosh, I'm so worried, good luck!" I told them.

"Don't be so silly. We're fine," Rien told me, ruffling my hair.

"Easy to say that when you don't have any Tesserae!" I retorted. It was the wrong thing to say. I had promised them I wouldn't take any Tesserae that year. Their faces turned to shock and anger.

"Oh no! You didn't take out Tesserae, did you? Nadia!" Rien exclaimed.

"We told you-your family won't starve. You idiot!" Jorsh yelled angrily.

"Easy for you to say! A doctor and a butcher-you're rich! My parents are freaking coal miners! I'm freaking poor! I was worried! Stop bothering me!" I screamed hysterically, then ran to my line with tears in my eyes.

When they called my name, I knew I was screwed. Would that be the last thing Jorsh and Rien would ever hear me say?

Barley Franklin's POV

"Reaping Day!" I sang to Collie to wake her up. She stared at me with dim eyes and laughed. I was fourteen and still nervous about the Reaping, so I was making myself feel happy about it.

"You idiot!" called Nickel, walking into the room. "You're making her think that Reaping is good. Fortunately, it's my last one!" Nickel was only one month from turning nineteen and being free of the Hunger Games. He was so great.

"If I say it like it's positive, it'll seem positive!" I argued.

"Yeah, but it's not positive," Nickel glared.

"But it won't be as bad if I make it positive," I said with a smile.

"Yeeeaaaah…Something's wrong with you Barley," Nickel told me.

"You tell me that everyday!" I quipped up happily.

"That's 'cause it's true," he said, ruffling my hair. "You wanna dress Collie, or should I?" he asked. Collie was already ten, but severely mentally impaired.

"I'll do it!" said my mother, coming in and pulling Collie towards her. "You know, sometimes, I feel like you don't think I'm capable of taking care of my own children!"

I stood waiting for the poor tributes to be called when they called an unfortunate looking girl. As she stood to go, two boys, one really tall, one not so much, reached out and grabbed her, hugging her, and she was crying.

"It must be nice to be so well loved! Lucky her!" I whispered to the guy next to me, who glared at me and told me to 'shut up, loser.' I figured he must be really worried about getting Reaped.

"Don't worry!" I told him. "I'm sure you'll be just fine. I have faith that you're a lucky person. Me too. I don't think me or my brother will get reaped!" Right after I said that, Nickel's name was called. Also, the guy next to me said some really nasty things, but I didn't pay attention to them. There was fear and sadness and upset-ness running through me. And I was thinking! I thought, Nickel was my brother, I couldn't let him die! Also, he was going to become a miner in a month, he could pay for the family and he was great at taking care of everybody. He hunts so we can eat too, slipping out of this big mean fence! All I did was scavenge out of garbage to find stuff to sell, but I always got next to nothing. Our family needed him so much!

"I volunteer!" I called. The boy next to me muttered 'good riddance.'

"I know!" I told him. "It's good to rid the Hunger Games of my brother isn't it?" He glared at me and pushed me up to the platform. As I went to stand next to the loved girl, Nickel grabbed my shirt collar.

"You idiot! I always knew you weren't right, but this stupid? How will we survive without you?" he screamed in my face. Then the Peacekeepers made him get down. I was wondering why he was so angry, except he must not have been angry, he must have been sad, because when I looked at him next, he was crying!

**A/N: Ta da! That's the last district reaping! I hope you liked them. Barley is, as his creator put it, 'his happy meal is missing a few french fries'. **

**With love,**

**Stepping on Leprechauns**


	14. Goodbyes Districts 1 though 3

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the Hunger games. **

**Good byes, Districts 1-3**

Saffron Toltzein's POV (District One)

As they brought me away to a little room, I was excited. My good-byes were nothing special. Kitty ran in and thanked me, her parents too. My parents, Luna and Ferdin, came in and told me how proud they were of me, and how amazing I was (of course, I already knew that!)

"Wait!" I called as they turned to leave. "I don't have a token."

"Oh yes, here," my mother said, pushing a rose into my hand. I stared at it. It was very pretty, with petals as soft as silk and red as blood. However, only cold anger flooded my veins, and my vision turned as red as the flower's petals. I tossed it down angrily.

"A flower? A flimsy little rose that will die possibly a few days before the competition begins? No strength, no-nothing!" I cried. "What is that supposed to mean?"

My mother merely smiled, "It's genetically altered. It will last months after you win. You'll wear it in your lovely hair, like this," she weaved the rose in my hair "and people will think that you are beautiful, tender with a feminine side. They'll like it. However, every rose," she flipped it over to the stem, "has thorns."

Spike Holt's POV (District One)

I sat and waited for my family to come. And come they did, though a little late, I must say. Kitty ran into my room first, and collapsed into my lap.

"I don't want you to go!" she whimpered.

"It'll be okay," I told her, kissing the top of her head. "I'll win for ya." I would be worried about her-I didn't know what would happen to me and how it would affect her.

"I don't want you to forget me!" she told me, "so I decided that this would be your token!" She handed me a small clay cat that she had made when she was very little. "A kitty-cat! Like me!" she told me. She had told me that when she first made it. I clutched it and told her I'd never lose it. Then my parents, Rain and Steve, started grilling me with strategy and all that stuff. As I left they called that they loved me and were proud of me. And that was it.

Jack Tonto's POV (District two)

I had no good-byes. My mother was tough and unyielding, and she was trying to do everything different than last time. She said good-bye that morning, when she knew I would volunteer. Her last words?

"Kill them, Jack. Kill those gutless bastards from District One first, then kill the rest of them. Revenge my son, Jack Tonto. Win." I also had no token-I didn't need one.

Andie Dayton's POV (District Two)

"Hey bitch!" laughed Storm jumping on top of me. We wrestled a little bit, laughing. Her golden hair in made her face sharp and hard with its edgy bob. "Ugh! I can't believe you got in and I didn't! I hate you!" She ruffled my hair. "That was quite the entrance, by the way!" "You gotta win, girlfriend-you're the last one of us who can!" Dawn floated in and hugged me.

"I love you. Don't forget that while you're in there. I'm your sister and I love you. Please don't die." I hugged her back.

"I'm not planning on it babe. Have a little more faith!" I assured her. My mother followed and touched me tenderly.

"Do you have it?" she asked in a low, concerned voice. "The necklace I gave you?"

"Yup!" I nodded, pulling the necklace out from under my shirt. It was silver, with a tiny galaxy, representing Andromeda, the galaxy, or my name.

"Good. That's your token. That's you. Don't forget yourself honey. Or else."

Suddenly they were all hugging me, telling me how much they loved me, even Storm. I shook it off. I was going to win, and love would only make me soft.

Annie Cathe's POV (District Three)

I sat in the tiny, stained, ugly room, observing. Something smelled like coffee. I was still in my stunned state. Suddenly, a shouting outside the room startled me. That was when fear set in and I started panicking. I was hyper-ventilating when Rachel marched in, still shouting angrily at the guards.

"Rachel!" I screeched when I saw her and ran to her open arms. She held me for a moment and I let the tears flow for a second, then composed myself. Letting myself cry and look like it could break me in the competition. "Look," I told Rachel, "We gotta find some way to sneak out of this joint. Maybe this vent, well, might be a bit small, but if I hold my breath…or you distract the guards and I'll run... or kick him in the head and steal his gun…What?" Rachel was staring at me shaking her head.

"It's over Annie. I'm sorry. I love you. Come back. Or try hard. Please!" she begged, crying.

"I promise."

When Julia came in, we sat on the musty couch, clutching each other and crying, recalling all the great memories. When they took her away, my face was red and blotchy, and I looked hysteric. Bye bye strategy.

Wylie Freeman's POV (District Three)

My good-byes were nothing special. My parents cried and told me to survive and be safe and smart. I told them I would. They told me that they loved me. Same old story. The only special part of my good-byes was my receiving of my token. Wow, that sounded dramatic.

Anyway, it was a puzzle cube. My father gave me a little smile and told me, "Practice. Every day. When you get it right, redo it. Your brain is a muscle it needs exercise. Exercise your brain Wylie. It's your greatest asset." That was true. And I would use my brain to win the Hunger Games.

**A/N: And here's a good-bye of my own. I'm sorry I took so long to do these. I'm in multiple plays and orchestras and my life is getting incredibly busy, especially with my midterms being now (non-stop studying!) Also, I apologize if some good-byes are significantly longer than others. I just put what I felt was needed and what would have happened. I love you all! I hope you enjoyed!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns **


	15. Goodbyes Districts 4 thorugh 6

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the Hunger Games. **

**Good byes, Districts 4-6**

Ariel Sallion's POV (District 4)

I'm not sure how long I was stuck in that room-it might've been half an hour, but it felt more like a day. I knew that during this time, most everybody was hugging their families, friends, and lovers good-bye, and that I should be too. However, I wasn't. The closest I had to my parents was their wedding rings on a chain, that I wore all the time. I decided that it would be my token. I only had memories of my brother and Trinity, both executed in the same way I was. I was alone-utterly alone. I decided to think of it as an advantage in the arena.

I had nothing to lose.

Marcus Fitzpaticks POV (District 4)

I waited for about 30 seconds before my parents burst in, dragging May and June behind them. They hugged me, excited.

"Good job, Marcus!" my mother, Emily, told me, thinking I had volunteered for me, or for them, rather for the safety of an invalid boy. I nodded half-heartedly. I didn't want to kill.

"Nice way to volunteer son!" my father, Donald, congratulated me. Just reminding me that I signed up to kill 23 other children. I looked at them in despair. May and June climbed up on my lap. They saw my upset face and seemed to want to change it. I smiled at them. Identical twins. Really, only my parents and I could tell them apart, and my parents often had trouble with it.

"Marcus, what is your token?" asked June.

"Yeah, what is it?" May asked. I smiled.

"I'm not gonna take one," I told them. "I don't need a token to remember you guys. My token will be my memory!" I clutched them to me, but they pulled away to look at my face.

"Which memory?" asked May

"Yeah, which memory?" agreed June. I chuckled and chose one.

"Remember the day last week when you two were painting my face?" I asked slowly.

"Uh, huh! We made you pretty with flowers!" June told me.

"Yeah, flowers," May nodded.

"That's my token!" I smiled at them. Then the Peacekeepers told them it was time to go, and Robin, my best friend came in. He spent a brief moment chastising me for volunteering, while I had insisted all year that I wouldn't, them he told me to win for him and left.

Alex Bones's POV (District 5)

"Alex! Oh God, Alex!" Kay stood, breathless in the doorway of the tiny white room. I stood across from her and stared at her in despair.

"Kay, Kay, Kay…I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said we wouldn't be Reaped – Did I jinx it? I just thank God it wasn't you!" She fell sobbing into my arms. I held her for a while, drinking in the sweet scent of her hair, and clutching her to me, trying to never forget her. I tipped her face up to mine and kissed her softly. She kissed back, though it tasted salty, marred by our tears. I pulled back and stared at her bright eyes.

"I love you," I told her quietly, putting my entire heart into those three words. She nodded, seeing how true they were.

"I love you too," she whispered hoarsely.

"And that's all I need," I murmured.

"Do you have a token?" she asked.

"Damn. No. I forgot about that in the heat of the mom-" I cut off, seeing her dangle something in front of my eyes. I took it from her. A necklace, with a locket. My big fingers stumbled on the clasp, but when I got it open, I sighed sadly. It was a picture of her, and a lock her hair.

"Thank you so much," I gasped. "I…you're…I'll miss you so much. I love you so so much. I know it's too much to ask but…will you wait for me?"

"Forever," she told me immediately. "I promise." We sat and cried and held each other for the rest of the session, but when they pulled her away, it was way too soon.

Nayeli Zabran's POV (District 5)

I sat crying, when my family walked in. My entire family. And there's a lot of us. Suddenly, it was so loud, and everyone was crying and hugging me, an telling me to come back, and good-bye and it was all really confusing, and all that I really understood was that I was incredibly lucky. I was lucky to have had the life I had. I was amazingly lucky to have this huge loving family, who were always so amazing to me. I was lucky to have spent so much time with my beloved plants!

My parents finally got up to me.

"Honey, do you have a token?" my mother asked. I pointed to a tattoo of a magnolia on my arm. She smiled and laughed sadly.

"You and your plants," she murmured.

"Oh right, my plants!" I cried, remembering them. "Mom, on my windowsill, there are tulips. You have to take proper care of them. Water them everyday-"

"I know how to take care of tulips. I'll take care of them. I promise. I love you honey." Then suddenly everyone was trailing away and I was left alone. Then I realized. In my worry about my tulips, I had forgotten to tell my mother and father I loved them.

Harper Haven Alby's POV (District 6)

Selkirk came in first. I ran up to hug him, but he hit me on the head. I fell, holding it in my hands.

"What the Hell?" I screamed at him. He looked down at me with tears in his eyes.

"You volunteered? Volunteered! Really? You idiot! What if I lose you?" The last bit was chocked out, soft and sad, and he was crying. I scooted up into his arms.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am! But…I couldn't just let that girl go, after all her family has suffered already. It's horrible!" I glared at him in defiance, waiting for him to argue. He smiled brokenly in defeat, tears still streaming down his face.

"You certainly are your own person, now aren't you?" he asked. "I love you. Don't die."

"I'll do my best not to," I told him. Then he had to leave. My parents came in and asked and said things to similar effects. Ainsley and Logan came in. For once, Ainsley had nothing to say. And Logan, he had everything to say.

"Damn it! Damn it! Why couldn't I have gone instead? Or with you! I could've protected you! Why didn't I volunteer?" he asked himself. Ainsley fell to the ground next to him and softly touched his arm.

"You didn't want to end up having to kill her. I understand. It's okay," she told him. Then we hugged me and we cried and said good-bye. With that every one was gone.

Vesper Harbane's POV (District 6)

I don't have much to say about my good-byes. No dramatic words of wisdom. No incredibly important conversations. Just Aisla and Ytalia. We held each other and told each other how much we loved each other. Wait-there is one important conversation.

"I'll miss you so much!" Ytalia moaned. She was sad-Aisla was sad too, but intense, concentrating on other things than my impending death.

"You have to come back! I don't know-I don't know if I can take care of Ytalia all by myself. I mean, I know I can, but emotionally-Heck, she'll be ruined, and will I be emotionally capable to help her? And Mom'll start drinking again, and Dad, will he be worse? And-"

"Shush. Quick worrying. I swear to you, I will come back." And I knew I would.

After that though, my parents came in and apologized for being, well, sucky parents. But all I told them was not to hurt Aisla and Ytalia, and to do all for them that they didn't do for me.

**A/N: So. We certainly have a dramatic group of kids, now don't we. But don't worry! It's gonna be okay! I'll make sure of it! (How can I say that-I'm killing twenty-three of them, and have half of their deaths planned out already!) Well, thanks for reading! **

**I love you all!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	16. Goodbyes Districts 7 through 9

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own the Hunger Games. **

**Good byes, 7-9**

Jason Matthews POV (District 7)

My mother ran in first, hysteric. She clutched me to her chest and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Jason! My Jason!" she moaned. I held her and buried my face in her shoulder, rubbing her back and murmuring condolences. She kept crying that she knew it, knew the Games would take both her children away. Just so you know, it really sucks when your mother is crying into your arms, not the other way. I looked up past her to the doorway. My father stood there, watching us, silent. I searched his gaze desperately looking for some of the same despair that resided in my mother. Instead, he was cold and steady and seemed almost…disapproving, as though I had disappointed him once again. He caught my stare and slowly shook his head. When the Peacekeepers came in to take my mother away, she pressed a circular piece of wood into my hand. When I looked at it, I saw it had my sister's initials engraved on it.

Pedro came in next. He told me, "Y'know, I'll be really depressed when you're gone. I mean, you're my best friend man. That's gotta count for something. I'll miss you man." It was a vaguely awkward good-bye, but fortunately tear free.

"Yeah, I'll miss you too man. You were an awesome friend."

"You too man. Please come back."

"Yeah, I'll try." We hugged, then he left.

Hush Owen's POV (District 7)

I sat silently (how else?) in that little room. I rocked back and forth slightly, waiting for someone to come in. I was internally screaming at myself (and Karma) for screwing me over. I was also shaking slightly and crying. Then Ajax appeared at the door. He was wailing his head off, screaming that no one told him that they were going here and it was working. As soon as my parents dragged him in (which only set him off more) he ran immediately to the corner and wailed like a siren, holding his knees to his chest. I spent the rest of the time comforting him.

However, while I was doing this, my mother kept trying to hug me and kept crying and my dad was over in a different corner, trying to express his feelings, which did not come naturally to him. All in all, it was complete chaos in that room.

When the Peacekeepers came in to take them all away, Ajax clung to me for a moment and whispered in my ear, "I love you." That made all the work worthwhile.

When Kase came in, he hugged me immediately.

"Oh Hush. I almost love you! I mean, I'm not sure yet, but I think so, so please come back. I need to know, and I don't know how I'll survive without you!" he said all rushed. _I understand. I feel exactly the same way. I promise I'll come back,_ I signed to him. And I knew I would try.

Marielle Bernstein's POV (District 8)

When my dad, Copper, walked in, I almost turned away from him. He clearly always cared about work more than he cared about me. He was always at work. But he was still my dad, and I was closer to him than I was to Kirsten, so, in need of a parental figure, I fell easily into his open arms. He cried a little and told me some stuff about how much he loved me and how he didn't think he'd be able to survive the next couple of weeks. It was sweet, but obviously a lie.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," I said scathingly. "You can always go to work." He was surprised and confused. As they took him away, he called that he loved me more than I knew.

Then Matty, Kirsten and Vector. Matty fell into my arms immediately.

"Mari? Um, I have a token for you," he told me. He held up his stuffed wolf. It had ratty fur, with these creepy, beady, cold, blue, eyes. It as his favorite. I took it in my arms and squeezed it.

"I'll never let it go," I assured him. I knew I wouldn't. Meanwhile, Kirsten was busy trying to console Vector, who was making a big fuss, merely because she wanted attention. It was obvious that she was only acting. However, Kirsten was such a loving and sweet woman, she didn't see it. Overcome with emotion, I grabbed the collar of Vector's dress and got really close to her face. She shut up real quick.

"Look. Let me have a few last moments with my family without you taking every bit of attention and love that is supposed to go to me!" I thrust her away and she muttered apologies. I turned with an angry afterthought, "Oh, and I love you," I growled. I then hugged Kirsten and told her that though we weren't close, I loved her.

Cane Mouldon's POV (District 8)

I almost hit my little sister. She made fun of me, laughing that I told her that she was going to get Reaped, but instead I was. I got real close to her and growled, "Shut up idiot. When I come back, you'd better beware." She skirted away from me. My parents told me that they were sorry and loved me and yadda yadda yadda. But before they left, my sister gave me a leather necklace with a leather ring on it.

"Just so you know-I actually love you," she told me. I was stunned. This necklace was like, her only piece of jewelry she owned. She never took it off.

And do you know what really pissed me off? Those group of jerks who called themselves my friends?

They didn't even show up. They were probably duking it out to see who would be the leader of the group, now that I was out of the way. I was gonna come back just to kick their asses. I wasn't dead yet.

Violet Summers's POV (District 9)

Mom, Dad and Kewlani came to me. We hugged and sat on the floor. They had come up with this little thing where we would sit on the floor in a circle and go around and say one moment we had with each other that we loved. I stopped them.

"No! I refuse to accept my death. I will come back. I'm clever, I can survive!" I told them. There was a silence, then Kewlani came up to me and hugged me.

"That's true. You will survive. But, hold on to this in the arena. I love you." He hugged me again.

"And this," my mother said, offering me a silver heart locket with a beautiful blue stone in the middle. I put it on immediately.

"I love you," my parents said in unison.

Torrent Montague's POV (District 9)

My father was drunk when he came in. My mother being dead, he was the only family I had, so I was looking forward to a nice long heartfelt talk with him. As if. He collapsed when he came in, and I spent the rest of my farewell time staring at him knocked out on the floor. I hate drunks.

**A/N: Well, we certainly have an interesting group of characters so far. So. I'm sorry if you couldn't review last chapter. Due to complications, I had to delete chapter one and because of that, all chapters were moved back one and so if you reviewed two chapters ago, you wouldn't be able to review last chapter. If that makes any sense. **

**I love you all! 3**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	17. Goodbyes Districts 10 though 12

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own the Hunger Games. **

**Good byes, 10-12**

Kyle Kors's POV (District 10)

My parents came first. My father put his hands on my shoulders, my mother flailing in the background. I looked in his eyes and saw that they were full of pain. A thorn pierced my heart to see him like that. He clasped me to his chest and told me that I was his little girl.

My mother pushed him aside and asked with tears sparkling in her eyes,

"Only you. Only you would volunteer like that," she murmured, stroking my hair. Then my parents gushed over how much they loved me, and left.

Then Nate fell into the door way. He was crying, like before, and his tears set me off again.

"Nate…" I murmured.

"Stop. Tell me why. Why did you do that?" he asked. Pain ripped through his voice, and tore through my skin.

"Do what?" I asked playing dumb. Only because I didn't want to face my Nate's pain.

"You know what. You volunteered. Why?"

"Because that little girl's life is already in shambles. I just couldn't let her life get worse," I explained.

"The kid has cancer, Kyle. Even though you volunteered, the girl will die in a few months or so anyway, all you did was change how. Maybe if you had given someone a life, I would have understood. But you didn't. You gave someone a few months, and dying of cancer is probably more painful than anything she would've encountered in the arena," he argued. I shook my head.

"But even if I gave her only a few months, at least her family will have a few more months with her, maybe she'll have a few more months of happiness."

"What about _your_ family's happiness, huh? Your dad-you're his sun and your mother loves you like crazy! What about them? What about me?" his voice broke for a moment. "Kyle, I like you. I've liked you for forever, but every boy had their sights on you, and I didn't want to make it weird, and you're so great you could never like me and I thought I had forever… Kyle. I don't have forever. I like you Kyle. And, I was gonna give this to you on your birthday, but take it now as your token," he said, holding out a silver heart necklace with my name on it. I took it tenderly.

"I liked you too, Nate. A lot." We were both crying heavily now, and embraced each other until it was time for him to go.

Blaise Calder's POV (District 10)

I have such a huge family, it was complete and utter chaos when they came in. They all wished me luck and love and all that good stuff. Delphine and Merill, both sobbing hysterically held me around my neck and made me promise that I would love them forever. That went without saying though. Palmer, my eighteen year old cousin, my good friend told me he'd look after them for me. Paisley, Pavi, Parsnip, Peter, Palla and Pansey all clambered around me, telling me to come home to look after them. Pepper and Piper telling me good-bye, and they sincerely hoped they would see me again.

Then my friends, my gang, who I still hung out with when I dropped out of school. The twins Lawton and Leander, telling me it is okay to kill to win, Meta, Cruz and Emory, telling me it was okay, they'd make sure my sisters were always happy. Lastly Nova, my best friend and crush, telling me that if I did not come back, she'd come and kick my ass. Me shyly stuttering that I would really try for her. It all went so fast, and I was left feeling empty, but loved at the same time. Is that possible?

Noah Marx's POV (District 11)

My parents were both dead, if you recall. Killed with the crazy's parents. And I have no friends. I don't really play well with others. I mean, I pretty much said, 'screw the world' after the world screwed me. So I didn't think anyone would come to see me. Plus, I doubt that defiant streak I had up there on the stage, didn't bode well with the Peacekeepers, so I doubted they would let anyone in, anyhow. Oh, and look at that.

I was right.

Henna Venn's POV (District 11)

There's something I didn't tell you. When Felicity, my sister went into the Hunger Games, she hadn't been randomly Reaped. Also, when I was thirteen, I stood up on that platform, having been Reaped. That time, when they asked for volunteers. One voice spoke up. Bet you can guess who.

Ripper came in, looking a teensy bit devastated.

"Hey Henna," he said.

"Hey Ripper. Do me a favor-keep the Resistance going when I'm gone. I'll be back, so you'd better do it," I told him, but he just floated past me and sat on the couch, with his head in his hands.

"I failed you. We promised we'd die to protect each other, but I'm not going in there with you. I didn't protect you," he told me.

"There was no way to protect me on this one, Ripper. Look. If you were in the arena, we'd end up having to kill each other, which would be worse than anything. As you are not a girl, you can't take my place. So, you protected me your best by staying here. Plus, I need you to stay and keep the Resistance up." He looked at me in wonder.

"That's all you care about, isn't it. You're crazy. You're my best friend, though. I love you. I have a token for you," he told me, his sentences choppy, like he was figuring something out. He passed me a ring that I always saw him wearing.

"Your father gave it to me, for luck. You'll need luck."

Nadia Rote's POV (District 12)

My family came up first. They were all teary and sad, and so was I. We didn't want to leave each other, it would seem. I loved them. Mom and Dad and Lance and Mayala, all of them. Actually, they were constantly driving me up a wall. However, that was the reason I loved them. I think.

Jorsh and Rien came second. They hugged me and suddenly weren't joking anymore.

"You're like our little sister," Jorsh told me.

"Yeah, you're awesome, and smart, and I know you'll succeed. You have to. Like Jorsh said, you're like our little sister," Rien agreed.

"Nadia, do you remember what your good luck item is?" Jorsh asked urgently.

"Yeah," I told him, holding up my wrist to show the black hair ribbon I got for my thirteenth birthday, which I wore around my wrist as a good luck charm. "Must not work," I laughed.

"That'll be your token," Rien informed me. "We decided that."

"Um…thanks?" I said, wondering why they were giving me something that I already owned.

"It makes sense to us. Remember, we love you," Jorsh said. I smiled.

"Love you too."

Barley Franklin's POV (District 12)

Once they were gone, I was holding a little red pebble that Collie had given me.

"Shiny," she told me happily. It would be my token. She was so great.

See, my family came in to tell me good-bye. They were really sweet. My brother was still really angry seeming, but crying, and Collie, well she just didn't understand what was going on, why everyone was sad and why we were saying good bye, and my mother was really sad, sobbing. I assured them that I would do my best, and they didn't have to be sad, but they were sad anyway. I decided I would not be killed graphically. For Collie.

They left crying, and I was holding Collie's pebble.

**A/N: Hey hey hey! Next is the chariot rides! Time for some fun, woot woot! Okay, I have no life. Actually, I think I'm spending too much thought on this story. Last night, I dreamed about it. **

**Love you all!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	18. Chariot Rides

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games. **

**The Chariot Rides**

**Note: While this is not told by anyone in particular, it's really from a Capitol perspective. **

The loud babble of a huge group filled the streets. There was an anticipating feeling hanging in the air. Suddenly, the streets were filled with gasps and screams of delight. The chariot for District One had just come out.

Saffron and Spike looked mystical and gorgeous. They seemed to be naked, though they weren't. On their bare skin, there were silver patterns and swirls, like heavenly beings. But more than that, there were diamonds in their skin. These diamonds looked engraved in their skin, as though the two cousins had been born with these precious stones in their bodies. The only thing they had on aside from that was the diamond tiara and crown they were wearing. They stood confidently and strong, and looked invincible and intimidating.

Then the crowd roared in approval. Andromeda wore a Greek style dress, deep purple, that had gems sparkling on it. Attached to her fingers was a train that spread out behind her. Jake was shirtless, with the sparkling purple pants. Their faces were cold and they seemed to convey the fact that they were rulers, competitors.

A hush went over the crowd for District Three, and a few children cried out in fear. Annie and Wylie were almost unrecognizable in metal body casts. They seemed to be statues made of metal, except for their faces. Their faces had dark, dramatic makeup and were expressionless. Both their hair had been dyed black, and Annie had extensions that fell almost to the ground, and writhed like snakes. Altogether, they were quite fearsome.

After their scary appearance, the crowd was quite appreciative of the District Four chariot. Ariel was dressed as a mermaid, with shimmering blue scales on her tail. Her hair was long and flowing with pearls weaved in it. She wore a strapless starfish bikini, and pearls fell around her everywhere. On her head, she wore a light pink coral crown. Marcus matched her outfit, but his hair was long and in a ponytail, with a matching coral crown. He clutched a trident, and together they looked like the beautiful queen and king of the sea.

District Six's chariot was okay, to say the most. They were doctors, with interesting kinds of glasses and magnifying scopes, with skeletons and human anatomy showing up occasionally on their lab coats. While it was cool, it wasn't very pretty or exciting. I mean, couldn't you just see that if you opened a book. And who does that anyway?

There was an excited whoop from the male viewers as the District Six chariot was pulled forth. Harper was a dressed as a scientist. She wore an incredibly short lab coat with nothing underneath. It was buttoned correctly so nothing showed, but it was still incredibly slutty. Vesper was able to get a whoop from the female crowd though. He was in a white lab coat and white pants. The lab coat was open, revealing a bare chest. His chest and stomach looked way more sculpted and muscular than it actually was (it was redone with makeup.)

There was an unexcited cheer for the District Seven chariot. Hush was dressed as a tree, and Jason a lumberjack. Really, they were both very good-looking, but the crowd had just seen a well, rather exciting chariot, and let's face it. You can see a tree any time on the T.V.

District Eight was also not as exciting. Marielle and Cane wore multiple layers of cloth. It was very pretty, a beautiful array of colors. Their designers had exquisite taste, but their outfits were not outlandish, exotic, stunning or exciting. In short, it's incredibly boring.

District Nine got the crowd roaring again. Violet was wearing a sports bra type thing, made of fake animal skin with a fringe. She wore a short skirt also made of the same fabric. She held a bow and arrow, poised and ready to shoot. Torrent was shirtless, with synthetic animal skin pants. He held a long hunting knife-and by his hold, he knew how to use it.

District Ten also got a great applause. Kyle and Blaise's stylists seemed to have the same idea as Violet and Torrents. Kyle wore a cow hair vest and short skirt. She looked sweet and sexy at the same time. Blaise wore a similar outfit, and looked like a cowboy. He carried a whip on his hip and had awesome leather boots. They looked awesome together.

District Eleven was exotic and beautiful. Henna wore a floor length dressed that was weaved from plants. She looked as if she was a flower growing from the floor of the chariot. Her makeup was green eye shadow with wings. It was exciting. Noah was strong and steady and painted rough and brown. He looked like a tree, with green coming out in random spots. They were both very beautiful.

District Twelve got almost nothing, besides a few courteous claps. First off, Nadia could pass as vaguely pretty with all the stylists work on her, and Barley was just…unimpressive. They were dressed in the standard skimpy coal miner's outfit, with head lamps. They waved and smiled at the crowd, but nobody gave a damn. Next to District One, District Twelve just, sucked. To be frank.

**A/N: And there's the chariot rides! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I have a busy schedule. Just so you know, I love trees. I said I didn't, but that's my Capitol voice. District 12 costumes courtesy of Tribe Spy.**

**Love you all!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	19. Training Day One: Knots and provocation?

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the Hunger Games.**

Ariel Sallion's POV (District 4)

I wore a dark blue tunic with long pants. It was simple, but easy to fight in. However, I wasn't fighting well. I was trying to learn how to use a sword. The trainer was getting a bit fed up with me. While I was quick and able to dodge every blow, I couldn't deliver one.

"Come on! Swing!" he told me.

"All I need to do is stay alive," I informed him.

"No, you need to kill to win. To kill you need to know how to swing a sword!" he yelled at me.

"What, this old thing? I can barely lift it! You people ought to know better than to give a thirteen year old girl a sword!" I chastised him.

"I give up! Go learn to tie a knot or something!" he told me, walking off. I glared at him. That wasn't very nice. Then a strong figure appeared next to me.

"Isn't he supposed to be teaching you?" the boy asked. I recognized him as Marcus, my male counterpart.

"Yeah, so what? He was astounded by my brilliance!" I told him, to make him think I was good, a formidable enemy. He smiled at me, chuckling.

"Look Ariel, if I'm going to be able to help you, you've gotta be honest with me," he told me. I glared at him, my jaw set. Help me? I was going to kill him! He's was a pompous jerk!

"Help me? Go die, and save me the work!"

"I decided when I volunteered to help you no matter what," he told me. "And I'm not going anywhere." I glared at him for a moment, but all I could see in his steady gaze was honesty.

"Well," I relented, "I guess I'm stuck with you."

Cane Mouldon's POV (District 8)

I knew that you couldn't win without alliances. And I knew you needed to ally with the right people. I needed someone tough. I had examined the competition previously, and I knew the right person. Noah Marx.

He seemed strong, defiant and I had a feeling he was a good enemy. So, as I was beating my adversary in hand-to-hand combat, my strength, I scanned the room for him. Do you want to know what he was doing? Sitting alone and tying a knot.

I was starting to reconsider my decision of ally.

"I want to make an alliance with you," I told him. He looked at me for a while, contemplating.

"Can you tie a knot?" he asked.

"What? A knot? Who cares about knots? I can practically rip a guy's head from his neck with my bare hands!" I yelled as red-hot anger flashed through me. He stared at me for a few more moments.

"Good for you. But can you tie a knot?" he asked again, calmly. I almost punched him.

"But-but-" I stuttered. I would be an awesome alliance! I could fight better than anyone in District Eight!

"Look," Noah said as he stood up, tossing his rope and knot away and making to leave. "I don't care who can rip off whose head. I need someone who can tie a knot. Someone who can _survive_. You've obviously never needed those skills. You obviously don't have those skills. I don't need you. Deal."

"Wait!" I called. "I'll learn. I promise. I'll make an excellent ally." He paused for a moment staring at me with unreadable dark eyes.

"Well, we'll see what Torrent has to say," he told me.

"Torrent? District nine boy, right?" I asked. "Why would you ask him?"

"He's my ideal ally. Even if I'm allying with you, I'm going to try to ally with him too. You might have your agenda, but I also have mine to take care of." Then he walked away.

I was glad I'd be allowed to kill him when I was through with him. I think I'd kill him even if it was illegal.

Andie Dayton's POV (District 2)

I ate my little lunch and sat surveying the table. The Careers table, the one full of fearsome boys and girls ready to kill anyone and anything to win. So far, there was the blond slut and Neanderthal from District One, JT, the boy from District Two and me. District Four hadn't joined us. The little girl looked pathetic and unhelpful, and the boy was following her around like a puppy.

Lunch was extremely awkward. While JT and I were glaring at Blondie and Brawn, they were chatting easily with each other. They chatted about yesterday's costumes and names and places I'd never heard of. It ticked me off. How could they be so at ease and friendly with each other when they knew that the other was plotting their death? More importantly, why? Still, it made it a hell of a lot easier to analyze them. Actually, it was more Storm analyzing them, in my head.

"Okay," I imagined her saying, "The bitch is relentless. And cruel. But I definitely think she'd put out, if it meant somebody's death later. She looks sweet, with that stupid flower in her hair, but watch your back around that one. And the Neanderthal, he's more reserved, more practical really. But he's still a Career. You watched him in training, he's a good killer. Probably more muscles than brain though, so try tricking him-" then my thoughts were interrupted by a small girl walking up. It was the mermaid from District Four.

"Can I sit with you?" she asked. All eyes at the table turned to her. Marcus stood with her.

"No," I said turning to my eyes back to my food.

"Why?" That stopped me. I turned and really looked at her. There was something in her eyes that made me realize she wasn't gonna back down 'till I cut her down.

"Why? Because we're bigger, stronger, older, smarter and better. What do you have that we could use?" I asked, with daggers in my voice.

"Why are you trying to make enemies?" she asked in return. "Doesn't seem so smart to me." Blondie and Brawn didn't hold back, her laugh chiming like a bell, and him guffawing like a horse.

"Look kid. We're all enemies here," said Testosterone.

"But I like you. You got a point. Sexy girl over here is all boobs, no brain, no offense or anything. But still. Get as many alliances as possible, right Short Stuff? Easier to kill people who trust you, huh? I'll cut you a deal-prove that you're useful and we'll let you join the Careers," she said. I almost leapt across the table and bit her, but that was against the rules.

"Listen, Blondie," I started, "I told her no. She can't help us."

"How do you know? Littler people than her have won before. And anyway, you aren't my leader."

Annie Cathe's POV (District 3)

You know me. I kick ass. So, I was kicking ass at knife throwing (which isn't too different from ninja stars really) when this girl walks up. I thought her name was Harper. She looked at me carefully.

"A normal person can only win in these Games with alliances," she told me.

"Good for you," I informed her.

"You and me, we're normal people," she said. That pissed me off.

"I'm better than normal," I corrected her. "And if you don't get out of my way, you're gonna have the same fate as that target, see?" I threw a knife at the target and it stuck right in the center. She stepped out of the way, a little nervously.

"Well, that's rude," she said bluntly. I could tell that she was trying to control her anger. And failing. "I know you're better than normal, but you aren't a Career. That's why we gotta team up."

"I don't need to team up, girlie. You might be a failure, but I'm not. I can win this thing alone." Actually, that was a lie. I needed an alliance, just the right alliance. And I was seeing if she was it.

"Look, _girlie_," she said, eyes flashing and anger getting the best of her. "I'm not a failure. Really, I wouldn't need an alliance if it was just you and me. I could kill you in a second. But we need each other because there are inhuman monsters out there that will kill innocent twelve year olds, if it means they can win. And I'm not one of them, but I need to beat them. So come down off your throne, stop acting so high and mighty and ally with me." Then she looked abashed, as though she had ruined her chances. I smiled.

"Sure, I'd love to ally with you," I told her. She gaped at me. "Look girlie, I needed an alliance but I had to make sure it was the right one. I need someone with a temper, who will fight for her cause."

"I'm not normally like that, I'm normally nicer, you just got me angry," she protested, holding her hands up in front of her.

"I was trying to. You got provoked easily. Work on that, will you girlie? It's a bad habit that you and I share, and I think it might get us killed," I criticized. Her cheeks flushed with anger.

"Just because I asked for an alliance doesn't mean I was asking for a queen. You don't order me around!" she yelled, provoked again.

"Or what-you'll kill me? You'll do that anyway, girlie," I laughed.

**A/N: So, there's the first day of training. I love that nobody told me that I had forgotten to put the District Five tributes into the chariot rides. I did! I put them there now, if you care, but I feel bad for them, Alex and Nayeli. I mean, first I forget to include them, then nobody notices, or complains about it…so sad.**

**I love you all!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	20. Training Day Two: Um, egos and um, stuff

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own the Hunger Games. **

Alex Bones's POV (District 5)

I sat, learning how to make a fish hook. It was rather interesting, though fairly easy to understand. I stopped for a moment and touched the locket dangling around my neck. All I could think of was Kay. My heart twisted painfully.

Suddenly I was back to a few weeks ago, when we sat, talking quietly, and I stroked her shiny auburn hair. It smelled like spring. In fact Kay was like spring. She was bright, warm and sunny, and you always loved to see her after something bad happened. She was my support. So kind and tender, with a heart weaved of daisies. Then I thought of her tear-streaked face as we said good-bye. I felt remorse rush through my veins. I should never have asked her to wait for me. It would destroy her. I would destroy her.

"…lex? Alex? That's what you said your name was, right?" the trainer asked, waving her hand in front of my face.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked. She gave a small smile.

"Something seems to be bothering you," she said. "What's wrong?" I laughed right in her face, which was very rude.

"I'm sorry, but…I'm a District Five boy in the Hunger Games. If something isn't bothering me, I'm insane," I told her.

"It's okay. You seem smart. I think you'll win," she comforted me, placing her small, soft, hand on mine.

"Thanks," I said, looking into her eyes. The trainer was couldn't have been older than twenty-one, a petite woman with soft auburn hair and deep green eyes. She had a startling resemblance to Kay, I realized. Suddenly tears welled in my eyes and streaked down my cheeks, just from staring into those beautiful eyes. As she comforted me, a simple but strong boy ambled over. He looked at me and noticed my tears with alarm.

"O-oh! I-I'm sorry! I-I'll come b-back at another time if it's b-better!" he stuttered, flustered.

"No. What do you want?" I asked him, proud that my voice didn't waver a bit.

"Um, I just, um, well, you see, I'm not the, uh, smartest person in, um, the world, even this room, and um, I was just wondering, cause you seemed, um, really smart and stuff, and um, I wanted to, um, ally with you. Please." I had never heard so many "ums" in one sentence before I met him.

"What can you offer? And, what's your name?" I asked.

"B-Blaise! My name's Blaise. You're Alex, right, from District Five? What do I have to-to offer? Um, well, I guess, I'm um strong and I'm g-good with cattle!" He declared. I looked at him.

"Thank goodness. I don't know what I would have done if herding came up in these games," I commented dryly.

"C-can I try again? Like I said, I'm not too smart. I'm also, um, shy, which is why I'm um sounding like an idiot!" he said with a nervous laugh. "I just learned how to use um, a crossbow, over there, and I was pretty good, and, um, I was also good with, um a bow and arrow, I guess that means I'm um, good with arrows and bows, right? I know how to, um, swim, and I'm, well, I guess I'm good with plants and all." I have to admit my heart went out to this boy. He seemed pretty hopeless, and so did I. We had mutual need, so I agreed. When I did, he smiled so wide I forgot about Kay for a moment.

Just a moment.

Violet Summer's POV (District Nine)

I scanned the room, looking for possible allies. My eyes lit up when I spotted one, an intense girl with a haughty expression, angrily beating a punching bag. I paced over to her.

"Hello. I feel bad I'm not that punching bag. Whatever it did must have offended you really badly!' I joked. She glared at me, not really comprehending.

"I'm training," she said in a _duh_ voice. "If this was a real person, I'd have killed them by now." _ Okay, she's not one to take a joke, _I commented to myself.

"I don't doubt that!" I laughed, though I did. She was punching it with all her power, but it was barely moving.

"So, you got any skills?" I asked.

"Besides fist fighting? I know how to find food, and I'm amazing at judging people. Course, those are just what I'm best at. I'm really good at pretty much anything," she said, coolly. I was a little ticked off. This girl certainly was full of herself.

"Well, in that case, want to ally?" I asked. She turned and glared at me, suspiciously.

"I told you I'm good at judging people. You want to know what I got from you? You're clever, and you know it's a game, and you're playing it. You're gonna kill to win, huh?" she responded. I almost punched her.

"What? You're not gonna kill? You can trust me when we're partners. I promise. Just don't go saying things about me without knowing me!" I told her.

"Well, for someone who just asked for my alliance, you certainly are rude!" she retorted. This time, I pushed her back.

"You know, screw it. Screw _you!_ I thought you might make a good alliance, but I was wrong. You're nothing but a stuck-up bitch who's going to die three days into the games. Bye!" I said, walking off.

"Wait!" she called. "I need an alliance! I'm sorry! Please take me!" she pleaded. I turned around and took her in, debating.

"Sure," I said curtly, then stalked off. One thing was for sure: I wasn't going to trust her if my life depended on it.

Torrent Montague's POV (District Nine)

So I was practicing shooting, which I'm pretty good at, being a hunter and all, when these two idiots rambled up to me. Actually, that was a lie. Noah wasn't an idiot, as far as I knew. The guy trailing behind him, I thought his was Kale or something, was a huge one. Anyone could see that. I was wondering how the hell Noah was landed with Kale.

"Yo," Noah said. "You wanna team up?" Wow, he didn't waste any time, now did he?

"If I team up with you, am I also stuck with Kale?" I asked.

"You mean Cane? Nah, I told him I'd team up with him, but I made sure he knew I'd ditch him if you really cared that much. Personally, I think more people mean a bigger headache, but more success," he said. I glanced at Cane who was waiting anxiously behind him.

"If you've got Wonderboy over there, why do you want me?" I asked.

"I've got a lot goin' for me, but I need someone with charisma, someone who the audience likes. You see, I'm not a people person. But you man, you seem tough enough and you have an aura of well-liked-ness, if that's a word. So you wanna team up or what?" he responded. I paused for a moment.

"Sounds like a deal. Tell Cake over there I'm in," I said shaking his hand. Noah smiled.

"I like the sound of that. I'll go tell _Cake_ you're joining us," he laughed. I didn't know why he was laughing. Yeah, it took me a while to learn Cane's name.

**A/N: I'm so sorry I took so long to update! I apologize, but I'm not going to update for the next week, as I'm going on vacation! Woo hoo! Well, not for you, but for me! I'm so excited! So if I don't get anything up, y'all are going to have to wait a while for the next update. This is assuming people are actually following and enjoying the story.**

**I love you all!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	21. Training Scoring Putting on a Show

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the Hunger Games.**

**This chapter is just a random Gamemaker's POV.**

Gamemaker's POV

It was time for the private sessions, for us to score each tribute. This was my second year as a Gamemaker, a pretty good job. But this part was extremely boring, and I hoped someone would have a new talent. I looked up as the first, a heavily muscled boy from District One. On the sheet in front of me, his name read was Spike Holt.

He headed straight for some spears, and pulled out a short, thick one. He weighed it for a moment in his hand then whipped around and threw it straight into a dummy's heart, from across the room. Pretty impressive, but nothing I'd never seen. The boy threw it again, this time disconnecting the dummy's head from its body. Then he sliced the rope holding it up. He knocked down a light and did many other incredible feats with that spear of his. Finally, he was finished and waited for us to do something. The Head Gamemaker waved at him.

"You can go," he said.

"Thank you for your time," the boy responded politely, which I hadn't expected.

Next a pretty blond strutted in. She asked for a trainer to fight against. The girl picked up a sword, and tossed it to the trainer, who caught it, surprised. This piqued my interest.

"Where's your weapon?" the trainer asked. The girl, Saffron, smiled mysteriously.

"Not usin' one," she responded.

"Okay," the trainer responded. They paired off. The trainer leapt at her, but Saffron nimbly skirted away. She then appeared behind the trainer, surprising him by coming that way. She punched the back of his neck, and when he stumbled forward in pain and by her force, she pulled him around and tossed the sword away. Then Saffron pushed him down and landed on top of him, in a killer position with her thin but strong hands wrapped around his neck. The Head Gamemaker raised his hand to tell her to stop, and she rolls off the trainer in a second. It was an excellent fight, but I wondered if the trainer had gone easy on this weaponless girl. She returned his sword to him, and a million different fights, all similar to the first, ensued. The last had her sitting on the trainer's chest; a move that she told us would kill him slowly because it would constrict his breathing. While the trainer was sweating and breathing heavily, the girl barely broke a sweat.

The next kid, a District Two boy, Jack walked in. He immediately marched over to the fish hook making area. I watched him curiously, wondering what the Hell he was going to do. The boy picked up a piece of string, a board and a wire. He tied the string around the board and attached the wire to it, forming spikes coming out of it. He then called for a trainer. The trainer came out and picked up a sword. The two men fought. I watched Jack's eyes, saw something relentless in them. There was more than that, though. I saw a cold fury in them. I was loving it. I was also loving that his weird weapon was kicking the trainer's ass. This guy was good.

The District Two girl, Andromeda, caught my eye. She was pretty enough to catch the eyes of many male viewers in Panem, and hey, maybe some females. She was also stone cold and vicious. I vaguely recalled her Reaping, and I remembered her ripping a couple of girls away from the microphone just so she could get up there. I was sure she'd do well. She picked up two long knives and stood next to a dummy. I felt something disconnect in me. I mean, anyone could take out a dummy. Then she flipped around at a lightning speed and sliced the one next to it.

My interest was rekindled as she whirled around with her knives slicing all the dummies. Once she was done, the dummies were mere shreds. I was impressed with her speed and accuracy of her knives. And she was pretty!

I wasn't expecting much from District Three. Generally they sucked in terms of entertainment. So I was paying more attention to my food when the surprisingly bulked up boy walked up. He strolled over to a light and did some weird technical stuff with the stuff from the light and some wire. I didn't really get it, and it lost my attention for a few minutes as he worked with it. Then, he wrapped the wire around a dummy's head and plugged it in. There was a blinding flash and the lights flickered off. When they came back on, the boy was standing proudly next to his dummy. Or what was his dummy. Now, it was essentially a heap of ashes.

The girl, Annie, strolled in with a smug expression. Though, I admit, she didn't look like anything special. She picked up some ninja stars and started throwing them around the room. They were an unusual weapon, and really we had only put them out as an experiment, but she was kicking ass with them. I mean, she was just a normal girl, not amazing like Saffron, muscular, super beautiful, quick and vicious, but she had great aim. And she was really good with those stars.

When I realized that District Four was going next I was excited. They were beautiful and great fighters. Always great entertainment. However, this one, Marcus was just averagely brown. He was strong though. He headed for the usual District Four weapon, the trident. He speared a couple of things, and, while it was all very impressive, it was what I had expected. I was putting on a show here-I needed something special.

The girl was short. And small and weak looking. I couldn't imagine that she could do that could impress me. She grabbed a sword that looked a little too heavy for her and called in trainer. When he came out he looked infuriated.

"You!" he cried, outraged.

"I'm sorry, is there a problem here?" asked the Head Gamemaker. The trainer shook his head and raised his sword. He took swings at the little girl, but she dodged his every blow. I thought I saw her swing at him a few times, but she never got a hit on. Eventually she threw away her sword and just kept dodging. She was quick, but if she wasn't able to hurt him, she wouldn't be able to win. As soon as she got tired, the trainer would do her in. In an act of desperation, she grabbed a knife and hurled it at the trainer. It struck into his stomach. He collapsed, bent over in pain, blood trickling through his fingers. The doctors entered and wheeled him away. I turned to congratulate the little girl when I saw her face.

There were tears streaming down it.

My interest was beginning to ebb away. All the good districts were gone, and we were on the fifth. Maybe there would be some surprise talent in these later districts, but I doubted it. The average boy, Alex, was in no way memorable, except for his bright green eyes glowing out of his brown face. His show wasn't memorable either. He picked up a spear and started to throw it at some targets. He missed a couple, and never got right in the bulls eye of the target, but he struggled with it. Still, he had met my expectations.

The girl from that district didn't do much better. She wandered in with her head in the clouds and made her way to the edible-inedible plant table. She sat down and inspected the plants. Then she glanced at us, her judges.

"I like plants," she stated. She held up her palm with a couple of leaves on it. "This combination will extract poisons from your wounds." She held up some more leaves. "This will lower fever. This will cause you to throw up, if you swallowed something bad…" She went on and on with the virtues of these plant combinations. The last plant combination she held up could kill a full grown man in less than thirty seconds.

"But of course," she said, "I'll never use that."

District Six produced a handsome boy, Vesper, which I was thankful for. Sometimes, a pretty face could tide the audience over, if only for a while. He picked up a sword and fought a trainer. I admit, he was pretty good. At one point, he jumped up on a climbing rope and climbed it, wrapping the rope around his foot and leaning down to slice at the trainer. At the end of battle, Vesper was holding his sword to the trainer's throat. While it wasn't the best fighting in the world, all I could think was _how did District Six produce him?_

The girl, Harper, was also fairly impressive for her district. She picked up a bow and arrow and started shooting at the targets. While her aim wasn't amazingly perfect, she did get quite a few bulls eyes. She also shot some dummies through the heart. I figured that with the right tools, she could do fairly well. It was up to me to give her the right tools.

**A/N: Hi! Sorry this took so long. I've been super busy. I'm in my school musical, which has an insane rehearsal schedule, homework has increased, and I'm in two other musicals and my city youth symphony! XP **


	22. Training Scoring: I prefer food

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own the Hunger Games. **

Gamemaker's POV

A roast pig was brought out in front of us. It was hot, steamy and delicious. Unlike the District Seven boy, Jason.

A scrawny twelve year old, he climbed the rope, taking a long time. Then, he started swinging back and forth. He was hurled through the air and landed on the rope next to him. He did this around the room, but it took so long, that any other tribute would have been able to slice him up before he climbed the first rope.

The girl was not much better. She was thin and willowy, and looked like a little wind could knock her over, much less the boy from District One. Also, she was a mute. Her name Hush, was perfectly fitting of her. She threw a couple of daggers with deadly accuracy, though. However, I sensed that dagger throwing was her only strength. Well, she was probably good at keeping quiet.

Cane was a surprise, though. For a District Eight kid, he was stronger. He called a trainer up. They started exchanging blows. I watched as the trainer reeled back from Cane's first punch. The trainer recovered quickly though, and started throwing punches back. Cane got a hard one in his stomach, but retaliated with breaking the trainer's nose. The trainer kneed Cane in a spot where one really shouldn't be kneed and it looked like he was going to win for a second. But Cane made himself as big as possible and roared at the trainer, which was quite surprising, I admit, but good for entertainment. The trainer kind of flinched back and stared at Cane silently. Cane clocked him and it was all over.

The next girl, Marielle was pretty enough to attract my attention. I was sure that many people in the Capitol would be pulled in and fall in love with those pretty blue eyes hidden beneath her glasses. The girl went to one end of the room, then ran to the other. She did this multiple times without stopping and went pretty fast. But there were plenty of fast tributes. Speed did not mean you would win.

District Nine generally had an okay boy. I mean, their specialty was hunting, it was to be expected. And Torrent Montague was no exception. He looked like a mellow quiet boy and meandered slowly over to the bows and arrows. He pulled out a dark metal one and tested the strength of the string. Then he knelt down on one knee and hit random targets all over the room with deadly precision. He sliced ropes, decapitated dummies; hit a hanging lamp that turned off with a shower of sparks. This boy was obviously a great hunter. Hunters could win these games. Hunters were often the best in these games, because they understood the woods, and could feed themselves, unlike the pampered tributes from the earlier districts. Plus, this guy looked good.

The girl, Violet, also chose the bow and arrow. She went to the shooting area and started firing away. She hit the middle of every target and it was surely good shooting, but I could not help comparing her to boy who went before her. Unless she pulled out some amazing move at the end, she wasn't going to do well. If they met in the arena, the first one dead would be her, I noted.

When Blaise came in, I knew immediately he wasn't a contender. He looked like a nice boy, he didn't seem too bright and he went for a cross bow. I took a deep sip of my beer. I was getting sick of bows, crossed or not. Plus, he stumbled a few times. The man next to me leaned in close, and I could smell the Pinot Noir on his breath as he muttered to me.

"Is it just me or are the tributes getting worse as we go along?" he asked. I laughed loudly.

"It ain't just you bud," I told him. The tribute's ears turned bright red as he heard us, and his performance became shoddier, until the Head Gamemaker took pity on the boy and let him go.

The girl of his district, Kyle, (what's with the man's name?) was very different. She was different just by walking in, because she was gorgeous. Then she walked over to the knife table. Another bonus. She picked up a black vicious looking knife, then went to our anatomically correct dummies, and gutted them multiple different ways. When she pulled away she looked slightly satisfied, and then looked back at the dummies. She immediately looked repulsed, threw down her knife and raced out of the room without being dismissed.

"What was that about?" asked the Head Gamemaker.

"Who knows? Women, right?" the one next to me replied. A couple other men laughed in agreement.

Then Noah Marx from District Eleven sauntered in. I approved of his strong build. He grabbed a bow and arrow.

"Another one?" I muttered. Then I jumped back as an arrow flew into my steak.

"What the?" I cried. Noah glared up at me.

"Shut up and watch," he said hostilely.

"You can't do that!" I spluttered, jumping up. I turned to the Head Gamemaker. "Can he do that?" The guy next to me grabbed my arm and made me sit down.

"Don't worry. We'll make him suffer in the arena," he told me. I smiled.

The boy was a great archer, I admit, but suffice it to say that the whole session was spoiled for me.

District Eleven's girl was nothing special looking, although she did have a slightly insane look in her eyes. She gave us this creepy grin then started pounding a punching bag. She looked smug as though she was doing brilliantly, but she wasn't all that good. She certainly did have drive though, and that could get a person pretty far.

Then District Twelve started. I was not paying any attention at all by that time. District Twelve was always had the worst tributes. The starved looking boy who stumbled in was no exception. However, I did question how right in the mind he was. He gave us a loopy smile.

"Hello," he said, surprising us. "How are you? I'm Barely Franklin. Nice to meet all of you." We stared back, speechless.

"Um, I-I don't think you're allowed to speak with us," said the Head Gamemaker.

"Aw, really? Cause that just throws my whole super special plan off," he told us with a lopsided grin. "Cause I was gonna tell you that I have no special talent, nothing to show off to you guys. Just, I must let you know that I'm not gonna give up. I may not look like it, but I fighter! Grr!" He put his hands up in fists and hopped around with a little laugh. We dismissed him and he stumbled on his way out.

The last girl, Nadia, came in while we were still exchanging confused looks over Barely. She was a rather ugly girl and no amount of makeup could change it. She picked up a knife and looked at it. Then she tossed it over her shoulder and headed over to the plants. She held up plants and explained what they did, but I paid more attention to my lunch.

**AN: Well, sorry it took so long to update! I'm so busy! **** Just a note: These are not any of my personal views. I love all the tributes so much that I don't want to kill them off! :.( These are just the Gamemaker's view. **

**I love you all!**

**-Stepping on Leprechauns**


	23. Interviews and Training Scores Part One

**Disclaimer: Who do you think I am, Suzanne Collins? Of course I don't own the Hunger Games!**

**This is the POV of a young audience member. Take note that some of the characters might say things and act in a certain way that's not very fitting of their personality. That would just be the persona they're putting on for the Games. **

**Training Scores for the first four districts**

Spike Holt: **9**

Saffron Toltzein: **11**

Jack Tonto: **10**

Andie Dayton: **8**

Wylie Freeman: **8**

Annie Cathe: **6**

Marcus Fitzpatrick: **7**

Ariel Sallion: **6**

**Interview time!**

Caesar Flickerman looked so mystical with his lavender makeup and hair. I love him, I mean, he is just so great!

The first tribute, Saffron Toltzein was stunning in her gown. It was dark purple and sparkling in the light. It was strapless and corseted, with a slit starting at the hip on her left side. Her blond hair was pulled up in a messy bun with strands of sparkling locks framing her face, and her ice blue eyes glittered with confidence out at the audience. She scared me a little bit. Caesar started by asking how she got a brilliant eleven in training.

She smiled arrogantly and only said, in a low and vicious voice, "You see, once I've decided to kill you, well, let's just say you can start picking out your headstone." Caesar laghed while the audience tittered nervously. I don't think any of us could tell if she was joking or serious, but her cold face made me think she was serious. I was certainly glad I wasn't in the Games! Throughout the rest of her interview, she said plenty of scary things, similar to the first. I thought that she could totally win!

But then, Spike came up. He wasn't ugly, but with his small eyes, big chin and overly muscled body, he wasn't very pretty. But he looked so super strong! He wore a black tux with a blood red vest and a sparkly black bow tie.

"So Spike, I hear the female tribute for District One originally reaped was your little sister. Is this true? Are you happy someone volunteered or did you want her in the Games to bring glory to your family?" Caesar asked.

"Ah, yes, Kitty's my sister. Sweet girl. I'm glad I'm not going up against her though," Spike responded in a voice that surprisingly soft and sweet for a boy his size. There was a …niceness in him that I kinda missed in Saffron. After a few comments on Spike's sister, Caesar moved on.

"So, what do you think of Saffron? All talk or is she really a contender?" Spike smiled softly at this question.

"Well," he started, "my cousin – "

"Oh your cousin?" Caesar exclaimed. "Why that _is_ too bad!" _Cousins?_ I thought, _Wow, these Hunger games are gonna be so great! Always are when there's family!_

"Yes" Spike answered, in an almost sad voice. "But we've already accepted that we'll be fighting against each other so it won't be hurting my game. And to answer your question, Saffron is definitely not just talk. She meant every word she said. And honestly, I mean it when I say that the two of us are pretty evenly matched." He ended in a growl. _Wow. If Saffron was telling the truth, and so was Spike, that is saying a lot, _I thought.

Andromeda excited me! I had like her sooo much! She was so cool during the Reaping and on the Chariot ride she looked so awesome. Now she was so sexy! Her dress was strapless and a passionate red with a black ribbon around her waist and anchored with a red flower and black heels. _And _her training scores were high. I was so excited to hear what she had to say! She sat perched with a straight back and pursed red lips that gave her a really sexy vibe. I wanted to be just like her! When she spoke, it was in a sultry voice.

Caesar asked, "So in the video of the Reaping, you're pretty vicious in trying to volunteer, pulling down other people and everything. Why is that?"

"Well, you see," she pouted, rolling the words in her moth. "My mother was never well off, and with me and my two sisters, life just got harder and harder for her. However, she always took care and provided for us. So, because I was not so rich, many girls thought they were better than me and my family. I've spent many years putting them in their place, and now, I'm just showing everybody they're not better than me, because _I'm_ here and _I'm _going to win. Also, I'm killing two birds with one stone. While I'm showing the people how great I am, I'll also be able to provide for my mother."

Wow, Jack Tonto looked so cool! He was all scary with his spiky hair and black suit studded with diamonds. He talked about his hard life growing up on the streets. He told us about how you had to be tough and ready for anything which he told us would be an advantage in the Games. He stood, showing us how thing were done.

"See, ya do like this. You're walkin' down the street and you see someone you gotta beef with. So this guy doesn't see you yet, but if he sees ya, it'll be a fight, and you know he'd jump you if he could. So you do like this, you see, ya do this." He came behind Caesar's chair, then pushed on Caesar's shoulder. "I woulda punched 'im, but this ain't real, ya know." Then he pulled a big knife out of a secret pocket and held it to Caesar's throat. "Get outta here, loser," he growled, as the audience held its breath in anticipation. Caesar certainly looked scared. "O' course, I could always just beat the crap outta 'em," the boy said jovially, drawing the knife away from Caesar's throat. That had scared me soo much! I've never seen a tribute bring a weapon and attack Caesar before, especially so seriously. He was so tough and cool, definitely a possible winner.

Anne Cathe, a fairly un-special tribute, walked up, looking nice in her poofy yellow ballgown. Not sexy like Andromeda, or cold and gorgeous like Saffron, but she had a certain quality about her, rough and casual. She swaggered to the chair in a not so ladylike fashion and sat down, casually stretching her legs out in front of her. Caesar looked a little surprised at her unladylike conduct, and the audience did too. It was such a surprise because all the female tributes always seemed so proper and ladylike! She gave a jaunty grin. When Caesar asked questions, her answers and voice were just as rough as her manners, but it gave her a certain personality.

"So," Caesar asked, "you don't seem very worried about the Games. Why might that be?" She cocked her head to the side and looked a little contemplative, with a knowing smile hovering on her lips.

"Well, as I'm sure you know, District Three doesn't have the greatest rap for supplying good tributes. However, I'm the best of the District Three best. I'm really cool, y'know, just kick butt, if you excuse the language. I'm just gonna breeze through this thing and go home to my big sis." She grinned and winked out towards the audience.

Sure, she didn't really seem as big a threat as the District One and Two tributes, but I liked her.

Wylie Freeman was such a surprise for his district. He was much stronger than some of the previous nerds who were the District Three male tributes. And he wasn't even half-bad looking, in his all black suit with the silver tie. He wasn't like Spike or anything, but he was still really cool looking. However, Spike had his warm smile and personality, and Wylie did not. He stood, hunched and hostile. When he sat down, he leaned back and set his mouth in a straight line. He certainly looked intimidating and mysterious.

After a little small talk, Caesar asked, "So it's fairly rare for a District Three boy to volunteer. Would you like to tell us why?" Wylie, who had only been using one word answers, looked a little contemplative. Well, he also looked angry, but I was starting to think that was just his face. Very formidable.

"There was nothing to lose," Wylie responded. _Nothing to lose? What about your life?_ I said internally. I really wanted to know more, but that was all he said. If he had nothing to lose, that must mean that he could do anything on the field! An advantage! And he was so sinister and scary looking, too and mysterious. I wanted to know more about him. I hoped someone would sponsor him so I could learn. Wow, District Three looked really good!

Ariel Sallion looked soo cute! She wore a sea green dress with bows at the top of the flowing chiffon sleeves. It was tied with a large ribbon at her waist. The skirt was flowy and long, and her hair was down with a large jeweled headband. She looked so cute and sweet and beautiful, it was hard to believe that she was even old enough to take part in the games. She floated over to Caesar and sat gently down. She gave a small smile.

"So Ariel," Caesar started. "When you were reaped, you looked very surprised, but then you got intense and volunteered yourself while up on the stage. I don't think that's ever been done before. What would be your motivation behind that?"

Ariel made a little face like she was wrestling to come up with a thought before answering. "Well, I guess I just want to do my best at everything. When I start something, even involuntarily, I'm gonna finish it, and I'm gonna do my best!" she squealed. "And gee, I'm happy I stayed! Just look at the Capitol! I can't believe I'm here! It's just like everyone says, so big and colorful and amazing! Even the food is way more delicious here! Gosh, it's just so cool!" She was so adorable! Just like a little girl. I wanted to pick her up and squeeze her! I would definitely ask Daddy if we could sponsor her. I mean we couldn't let her die, now could we?

Marcus was kinda average. He was just plain with tan skin and brown hair and eyes. Even his dark blue suit wasn't that special. He was muscular, I guess, but nothing special. He didn't have the kind but dangerous air that Spike exuded, nor did he have the scary, ominous air of Wylie. He had a large smile, but that was really his only good aspect. Marcus had a fairly good personality, pretty funny and kind. He had a nice laugh, and a very funny, self-deprecating humor. However, there was still only one thing that really stuck out in his interview.

Caesar asked him, "Do you have any siblings?" Marcus grinned widely again.

"Oh yes. I have two very sweet twin sisters. They are such cute little girls, very tender and gentle. May and June. Even their names are warm and loving." The love in Marcus's eyes was evident. "I will do my best to get back to them. I suppose that'll be my main strength in the field. I will fight for them. I will fight to get back to them and my parents, no matter who challenges me." He had gotten a little bit scary at that point but otherwise, that was about it. Marcus was honestly a bit of a letdown for District Four. I mean, District Four is supposed to be the vicious, fighting and victorious district. I mean, Wylie was better than Marcus! I shook my head. Marcus definitely needed to man up if he was going to succeed in the Games.

**A/N: Hi! If I have any readers left, I apologize profusely to them. I went away for the summer and then I came back to all Honors classes and one AP class, which is the hardest a sophomore can take in my school. Yeah. I have a lot of work.**

**On a side note, I'm sure a bunch of y'all think I'm an idiot because I use the word 'gonna' kind of a lot. I do know it's not a real word, but I use it in this story because it's the way some people talk. **

**Love you!**

**Stepping on Leprechauns**


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